Dragon Quest IX: Arianna and Trent's Journeys
by Mike AZ 2
Summary: A Dragon Quest IX fic from the eyes of a heroic Adventurer and a young Celestrian. Mostly follows the Dragon Quest IX plot, and may extend into the Post Game. Rated T for safety.
1. Chance Encounter

Dragon Quest IX: Arianna and Trent's Journeys

Mike AZ 2 here. Dragon Quest IX is such a popular game, with all those fics about the hero/heroine on this website. I thought to try writing a multi-chapter story from the point of view of an OC warrior.

Reading the fanfiction, Bonds, inpired me to try writing my own Dragon Quest fanfic.

Mostly follows the plotline of Sentinels of the Starry Skies, I may even expand into the Post Game. Thoughts are ', spoken word is ".

Disclaimer: Please don't sue me, the Dragon Quest series is the property of Square Enix

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><p>Prologue: Chance Encounter<p>

Near the Kingdom of Stornway, a young swordsman was just traveling back to his hometown. The seventeen year old had blond hair, wore a simple tunic with paints and had just been wounded from brashly challenging a supernatural warrior on his own southeast of the village of Zere.

' Darn that Wight Knight, I don't care much about his reasons for threatening Stornway. I wish the Guardians would take care of this so that no one else has to suffer on the king and the princess's account'.

The blond teen made his way back to Stornway after tending his wounds with a medicinal herb which he carried. When he got there, the swordsman entered the Stornway Inn to find that it was a lot cleaner then it was this morning.

One of the Inn employees spoke" Oh, hi there. You're back just in time, Trent."

Trent raised his eyebrow" What do you mean, Patty?"

Patty smiled" The inn has just reopened after I met with the daughter of the Incredible Inntertainer, who passed away two years ago."

" What else is new? This place has been opening and closing since Edwinn quit, according to my older sister. Didn't you say you found someone when Ginny came to work at the Inn?" sighed Trent."

" Um, excuse me, but someone was waiting for skilled Adventuerers to hire" spoke the Innkeeper, who had blue hair and wore a bandana and blue dress with a white skirt.

Trent sighed" About time, I suppose. I was trying to kill time until I meet someone who will employ me as a swordsman."

The Innkeeper, Erinn, spoke" Actually, the person in question is resting in one of the rooms of this inn after making a request to Patty at her Party Place. Oh, but it looks like you were hurt."

The young swordsman shrugged" Dosen't matter, I just want to surpass my late father as a swordsman. Out of curiosity, who needs my services?"

Erinn seemed to relent" Well, please wait in the Parlor. She will be there shortly."

Trent entered the Parlor to find his older sister Alicia, who's hair was the same color as her brother's.

" Trent, you're back. I was worried when you took off without telling me" breathed Alicia.

" Yeah, well, I was bored" shrugged the younger blond.

Alicia took out her heal staff and cast cure" You need to be more careful. did you try to defeat the Wight Knight on your own? You should be lucky he spared us when last we took him on as was the king's request."

Just then, Patty entered the room. With her was a young woman with long violet hair and mysterious celestial clothes.

Patty addressed the newcomer" Well, these are the two I've told you about, one of them was pretty banged up earlier though."

" You're quite the adventuerous pair aren't you? My name is Arianna, I am a Bard. At least that's what I tell people and they seem to accept it" spoke the young woman.

Patty was amused" Silly girl, it's Trent and Alicia's job to tell you what they can do since you're doing the hiring."

Trent just stared at the mysterious young woman, who spoke with a soft, musical tone" Is there something on my face?"

Alicia expasparately sighed" Trent, do you honestly have to fall for someone at a tine like this?"

" Sorry, got carried away. I never seen the likes of you before, Arianna. My name is Trent, Master Swordsman of Stornway. Well, self-proclaimed anyway" flushed the swordsman.

Alicia chimed in" I am Alicia, a Priest in training. My dream is to someday become a Sage. Trent wants to surpass our father, who suffered from a terrible illness a fortnight ago in Coffinwell."

Arianna was shocked" Oh my, sorry to hear that. Anyway, I spent a few days in Angel Falls after falling from a waterfall, my travels led me to Stornway so far. Also- Ow, cut that out, Stella, what did you do that for?"

The being in question was invisible to the eyes of Trent and Alicia, the little fairy whispered harshly after yanking on a strand of Arianna's hair" You ninny, you don't have to tell them you were a Celestrian. They'll think you're flapping crazy!"

" Something wrong?" spoke Alicia.

Arianna shook her head" My conscience has a mind of it's own, sorry if I'm going crazy. Anyway, I want to help Stornway with whatever problem it's having."

Alicia smiled" Well, nice to meet you. If you don't mind, how much money do you have?"

Arianna replied" A little, but whatever treasures we might find should help cover expenses."

Trent smiled at Arianna" Well, you sure are beautiful. I promise that I won't let you down, so what do you need us to do?"

Arianna strugged to keep from blushing at the swordsman's compliment" Well, we'll see. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

" Did you see the billboard on your way into town? The King want's us to confront and defeat a rogue warrior called the Wight Knight, who supposedly threatened the kingdom's princess: Simona. He's offering a reward for whoever can stop the knight" said Alicia.

Arianna nodded" I will help you with this quest. We'll split the reward once we finish."

Alicia walked towards Arianna" Hm, now that I have a closer look, you seem far more angelic then myself or any other girls in this kingdom."

" Quit patting me on the back like that, it's so embarrasing. Well, let's get some supplies and go together. Only one minor detail, where can we find the Wight Knight?" inquired the violet haired girl.

" My apologies, our quarry is at Loch Storm" said Alicia.

" Hey, what's up?" said another voice as another young man with redish hair and green eyes entered the room.

Alicia greeted the man" Oh, hi Raymond!"

" How's you been, Alicia? And who's this?" said the man.

Alicia replied" This violet haired girl is Arianna, I've never seen her before. Arianna, this is my boyfriend, Raymond."

Raymond nodded" Nice to meet you. By the way, I'm a Mage."

" Sorry, but I don't really have the time for more pleasentaries. I am here to save Stornway" said Arianna.

" From the Wight Knight, eh? Well, I reckon the four of us can knock his block off, a Bard could make a big difference in this situation" said Raymond, cheekily.

" How long were you listening?" gasped Alicia.

Raymond smirked" Just wanted to see your reaction, I actually arrived around the same time as Arianna."

Arianna made to exit" Well, guys, let's head out."

The group purchased supplies in Stornway and headed out.

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><p>I gave this some thought here and there and decided to post my own Dragon Quest fic. In case you're wondering, I used two male characters and two female characters when I played Dragon Quest IX.<p>

Arianna and Trent will generally be the protagonists of this fanfic, but the two other OCs will play a major part as well. Other adventurers may be added occasionally.

Sorry for changing one of the characters' names at the last minute, but it didn't quite read right.

Please feel free to review.


	2. Loch Storm and Zere

Well, here is another chapter. I made Arianna seem a little too angelic so far, didn't I? I'll do my best to elaborate on the characters' personalities. If I'm lacking in too many areas, or if this comes too close with another fanfic, you can go ahead and chew me out.

This chapter is mostly talking, but it has more backstory for the four OC adventurers.

Again with the Disclaimers: Dragon Quest was created by Squaresoft.

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><p>Chapter I: Loch Storm and Zere<p>

Arianna, Trent and their two companions marched on north west of Stornway, seeking Loch Storm and the Wight Knight.

"So where are you from, Arianna?" inquired the Swordsman.

"Why do you ask?" inquired the Minstrel.

Trent shrugged"No reason, I'm just curious."

Raymond spoke up"Hey, lovebirds! We're getting close to our quarry."

Arianna rushed ahead towards Loch Storm.

There, at the cliff, Trent spoke to Arianna"This is where I tried my luck against that ghost knight, whatever he is. It was laughable when I crossed swords."

"I see. Well, let's wait here." said Arianna, calmly.

The day was slowly going by, when Alicia spoke"Hey, as long as we're here, why don't we have a little picnic? I packed up some lunches on the way out."

Arianna thought for a moment, then said"Why not? Hey, Raymond, you're on lookout okay?"

"No problem" smirked the Mage.

The Priestess laid down a blanket, and the group (except for Raymond) sat down for a small lunch of sandwhiches and chips.

Arianna tried her best not to act as though she'd never seen a sandwhich, she spoke with Trent and Alicia" How are things in your hometown?"

Trent sighed" Not so good, Alicia and I left Coffinwell in search of a cure for the contagion that's become epidemic there. Mom died, and father's bedridden, which is no way in my opinion for a swordsman to go."

"And you expected to find that in Stornway?" inquired the Minstrel.

Alicia shook her head"Nope, the checkpoint between Stornway and Coffinwell closed shortly after we arrived in Stornway."

More time passed until evening, Trent sighed" You know what? I reckon that we may have miscalculated."

"Oh, you mean the Wight Knight is not here?" inquired Arianna.

Stella, who was invisible to all but Arianna, sighed"Why do I get the feeling that if I turn around he'll be right behind me?"

"Hm?" spoke Arianna, glancing ahead to a nearby hill, where a strange sight greeted the group: A dark clad knight upon a horse descended upon them and spoke"Hm? Who are you?"

"You might remember me" said Trent, standing up and drawing his sword.

The strange knight brandished his lance"Where is she? Release the princess, Mona."

Trent lunged forward, only to be knocked backward.

Raymond cast Sizz (A fire spell) on the Wight Knight, who charged right at him in retaliation.

Arianna knocked the mage out of the way, only to be impaled by the weapon.

Alicia healed the Minstrel, while Trent clashed blades once more against the knight.

Raymond cast Sizz at the Wight Knight's face (or should I say his skull), while Arianna dealt a blow to the being's torso.

The Wight Knight staggered, while Arianna spoke"I think you got the princess of Stornway confused with someone else."

The knight was astonished"So she's not Princess Mona? Hm, come to think of it, she wasn't wearing the royal necklace of Brigadoom. I shall go to the castle to apologize for my mistake."

Stella whispered into Arianna's ear"I'd talk him out of that if I were you."

The Minstrel shrugged"Um, actually, you probably should stay away from the castle. You're already on the king's blacklist, and I doubt he would be willing to let you explain."

The knight nodded"Very well, I shall simply return home to Brigadoom."

The minute the Wight Knight left, Arianna sighed"You know, guys, that knight seemed a little too troubled to be a mere villain."

Trent rolled his eyes"I'm not done with him yet, but what shall we tell the king?"

"Let's go, I'll explain things to them" spoke Alicia.

With that, the four retreated back to the castle.

Once there, Alicia addressed the rest of her friends"It's been almost a week since Trent and I accepted the king's quest, let me do the talking okay?"

Trent, Arianna and Raymond nodded then headed in.

At the throne room, the King of Stornway spoke"Ah, Trent and Alicia, right? How did it go? I was starting to consider hiring another adventurer after not hearing from you for three days."

"Not so good at first, but thanks to Arianna and Raymond here, we drove off the knight. That's not all, we have obtained information about why he threatened Stornway" said the Priestess.

King Scotford furrowed his eyebrows"What might that reason be?"

The four adventurers explained as best they could to the king about the Wight Knight's motives.

The king frowned"So the knight lost his memory and mistook my Simona for his Fiance? Hpmh, a likely tale. I've never heard of Brigadoom, he must have been lying! Go make sure the Wight Knight is no longer a threat!"

King Scotford's daughter, a young woman with blond hair, was shocked"Father, why do you refuse to believe his story? Why do you have such a low opinion and what has the knight ever done to you?"

Alicia sighed as she addressed her companions"Looks like we can't get hold of the reward for some time yet."

Arianna nodded"Let's go."

As the Adventurers headed out of the throne room, Simona caught up and said"Wait, can you come speak to me in my room?"

"What for?" said Trent, impatiently.

Simona replied"Its just that I've heard of Brigadoom, now could you please come with me?"

The group headed for the princess's bedchambers. There, she spoke"I'm sorry about all this, if we spoke of it in the throne room my father would try to interfere."

"You said you knew of Brigadoom, Princess. Was there anything new we should know about?" said Arianna, respectively.

Simona nodded"I heard about it in a nursery rhryme that my caretaker would sing to me when I was a little girl. Anyway, the Wight Knight is not the evil character my father thinks he is, I just know it. To help the knight, you must first head over to Zere where my old caretaker lives."

"Then that's our next goal, only thing is, that knight is more Ex-Human then he looks. I'm not entirely sure about this" sighed Alicia.

"It's our best chance, sister" said Trent.

"Trent's right, Alicia. Let's go, team" said Arianna.

The four adventurers departed the palace and headed north-west to Zere.

Along the way, the swordsman addressed Arianna"I don't mean to pry, but where'd you lean to use a sword? You were amazing"

"I had a good teacher. Sure he was somewhat strict, but my teacher was the closest thing I've had to a father" said the Minstrel.

"What was his name?" inquired Raymond.

Arianna shook her head"Sorry, I can't say more then that. Even if I told you everything, you wouldn't believe me."

Alicia sighed"Well, sure you are an enigma and all, but forcing you to talk won't do any good. Raymond, how much farther is Zere?"

"Probably a half-day's march, give or take. Hey, Arianna, what's your plan after this quest is done?" inquired the Mage.

The Minstrel replied"I'm on a personal quest of my own. My hometown was struck by an earthquake, I am worried about my people."

Trent shrugged"Well, I'm just glad to have met you. Will we see each other again after this whole mess with the Wight Knight and Brigadoom is done?"

Arianna thought for a moment"I can't make any promises."

"We're almost at Zere, let's stay at the inn, gang" said Alicia.

When they got to the inn, the innkeeper recognized the mage"Hello, Raymond. Here to stay for the night?"

The mage nodded, then put down some gold"We need at least two separate rooms."

"Understandable, we have a room for the guys and one for girls. Sleep well."

As the four headed upstairs, Arianna addressed the mage"How do you know the Innkeeper?"

Raymond replied"Zere is my hometown, that Innkeeper is my mother's sister. I decided to become a Mage to put myself to good use because of the monsters lurking outside town. That was three days ago, somehow I knew that Mages would be high on demand."

Alicia spoke to her friend"All three of us have our dreams. What's yours, Raymond?"

"You're studying to become a Sage, but me: I'm mostly in it for adventure, but I think we'll all find our destinies" said the Mage.

Arianna interjected"Well, let's get some sleep, everyone. We have a long day tomorrow, good night."

Trent smiled"Same to you, Arianna."

The group went to their respective rooms to sleep for the night.

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><p>Short chapter, huh? The next one should be longer.<p>

Please feel free to review


	3. Brigadoom

Hey, thought I'd post another chapter in this Dragon Quest fic. I would also like to thank Legojunkie and Witch Halloween for adding this to their favorites.

Oh, and I usually use Horizontal Ruler Lines to switch to another character's point of view, but in thie fic it'll signify a lapse in time. Spoken word is ", thoughts will be dipicted by '.

Okay, I'd best move on to the chapter itself. Oh, and all standard disclaimers apply: The Dragon Quest series was developed by Squaresoft.

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><p>Chapter II: Brigadoom<p>

Trent, Arianna and their two teammates woke up early the following day to locate Princess Simona's former caretaker.

When they found her and learned of an old nursery rhyme about the Right Knight and Brigadoom, The group was astonished as they headed out of town.

"I can't believe what we just learned" sighed Trent.

"Should we report back to the castle?" inquired Raymond.

Arianna shook her head"No, not yet. We still need to find more information, and the only clue we know of about the Wight Knight is that old nursery rhyme that Princess Simona heard from her former nanny."

Just then, the four heard a scream and ran towards the entrance to Zere.

There, the Wight Knight was trying to ask the villagers about Brigadoom, but his imposing, skeletal figure just caused more scares.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" said Trent.

The Knight addressed the four"Hm?"

"My friends and I just learned of the Right Knight, could that have been you?" inquired Arianna.

The Wight Knight replied"Yes, that's what they used to call me in Brigadoom. But how did you know of it?"

"The Princess of Stornway told us to learn of an old rhyme about Brigaddom" said Alicia, informing the Knight about what the old woman back at the north westernmost house told them.

The Knight was surprised"Surely I could not be a mere frigment of some old storyteller's imagination. Ah well, there's nothing for it but to follow the bird's example and head north."

As the Wight Knight headed north, Arianna turned to Alicia, Raymond and Trent"Brigadoom is north of here, let's follow him and check it out."

"Really? Count me out, old ruins scare me from the sound of it" sighed Trent.

"Oh, don't be such a fraidy cat, Trent. You can't hope to surpass dad if you're afraid of visiting even an old relic like where we're going" said Alicia.

The four stocked up on more supplies before heading for Doomingale Forest.

As they reached the forest, they came across some poisonous pools with a couple of grassy paths.

"Is it safe?" wondered Arianna.

"By the looks of it, we just have to be careful not to set foot into those puddles" said Alicia.

"I see a path just to the right, let's take it" suggested Trent.

The four proceeded deeper into the forest, occasionally fighting a monster or two that happened to cross their way.

Soon, they reached what appeared to be an old ruined castle. At it's gate was the former Right Knight.

The knight was shocked at the sight of his old home"What has happened here? What could have happened to Princess Mona?"

"Looks like either a battle took place here centuries ago, or maybe it just rotted from the ravages of time" said Alicia.

The Knight went on ahead to investigate the ruins.

"Let's head in" said Arianna to her group, glancing at a staircase which led into the ruined courtyard.

Trent squared his shoulders"Here goes nothing."

As they headed in, a group of Drackies attacked.

"Sizz!" cried Raymond, blasting two Drackies.

Trent and Arianna tackled the remaining Drackies, while Alicia kept her allies alive with her restoractive magic.

"There may be more of these things, stay alert" said Arianna, after the monsters were slain.

The four headed to the west side of the courtyard, where they found some stairs which led to the castle basement.

"What a dreary place" groaned Alicia.

"I'll go first" said Arianna.

The trip down continued until they encountered five skeletal warriors.

"Bring it, boneheads" said Trent, drawing his blade.

Two of the skeletal fighters clashed with Trent, with the other three threw their skulls. Raymond zapped one of the other enemies with a Crackle spell.

Arianna rushed to Trent's aid, while Alicia overpowered her target with an expert kung fu move.

"How did you learn to fight like that? I thought Priests couldn't do that" said Raymond.

"Even I have to learn some form of karate, my martial arts techniques are connected to this" said Alicia, showing him a wooden staff.

"Now that's impressive" remarked Raymond.

Arianna managed to strike down two of the skeletal warriors attacking her and Trent, while the male warrior toyed with his opponent before taking it down with a double slash.

"Great work, team. Let's move out before those boneheads decide to pull themselves together" said Arianna.

The four went up another flight of stairs three rooms over to find themselves on the castle tarrace.

More monsters, some of them spellcasters, accosted the heroes, but they were dispatched with some effort.

"Might these creatures be the vengeful spirits of the denizens of Brigadoom?" said Raymond.

"I don't think so" said Arianna, leading the way to the northernmost door.

Inside, they traversed downstairs into what appeared to be the castle's throne room.

There, the Wight Knight was confronting a humanoid monster with wings, fangs, long hair and a dagger.

The Wight Knight demanded of the creature"What have you done with Mona? What happened here?"

"Ah, ha, ha, so you returned. Now, you will once again be under my spell, we shall not be parted" said the monster.

"Morag, you fiend, I will defeat you, as I set out to do years ago" said the knight.

Morag sneered"Yet it is I who defeated you. Try as you might, you can't escape. Regardless, you are too late."

The Wight Knight lunged at Morag, only to be stopped by a powerful spell.

Arianna and her group rushed onto the scene.

"Ah, intruders. You come to challenge me?" growled Morag.

Trent stood before the demoness"So you were manipulating the knight. Are you then responsible for the attacks at Stornway?"

"Hmph, I don't know what you're talking about. Now, prepare to be cursed yourselves!" growled the monster.

Morag cast a curse at Trent, which Arianna intercepted by jumping in front of the warrior.

The demoness was shocked"How did my spell not affect you? You looks like a common mortal. Or maybe... You are one of 'them'?"

"That's right, believe it or not. I will send you to the depths of the netherworld where you belong" said Arianna.

Morag growled and flew at the purple haired Minstrel, almost hitting her with the dagger.

Alicia cast a Buff spell on Arianna, while Trent moved to clash blades with Morag.

Trent was barely able to parry and dodge most of Morag's swipes and stabs, but the demoness hit the warrior with a spell.

Raymond cast Crackle on Morag, which the demoness countered with another attack spell.

Alicia healed Raymond and Trent, while Arianna chanted a spell and danced.

The blond swordsman felt mysterious magic power course into his veins. Feeling empowered, Trent lunged once more at Morag.

The demoness blocked most of Trent's blows with her dagger before the swordsman stabbed her.

As Morag faded into thin air, The Wight Knight despaired"I had come home... but I was to late."

"You are not too late" said a voice, as the Princess of Stornway entered the room, accompanied by two soldiers.

"Hm?" The knight glanced at her.

Princess Simona smiled at him.

The two stood before each other, then soon embraced each other into a dance.

Arianna and her group watched as Simona and the Right Knight danced at the center of the room. Soon, a warm glow enveloped the knight.

The man, or what was left of him, gasped as he spoke"I see, so you are Mona's..."

"I knew you were the Right Knight from the old tales" said Simona.

The Wight Knight glowed until he faded into the afterlife where he could be with his fiance.

"All that for a love story... how surprising" remarked Trent.

Simona addressed Arianna"Thank you. A reward is waiting back at Stornway."

"It is we who should thank you, your majesty. You have helped the knight find peace and rest" said Arianna.

"Not at all" smiled Simona.

The group followed Simona and her two guards back to Stornway Castle.

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><p>At Stornway, Arianna and her friends spent the night before going to Stornway Castle.<p>

King Scottford and Princess Simona greeted them.

"Ah, you came back. Princess Simona explained everything, the knight was having a rough old time with it, eh? I have misjudged him after all" said the king.

"Yes sire" said Alicia.

The king spoke"You may access the treasurey upstairs. The contents of the treasure chests there are yours to take as a reward."

The four thanked King Scottford, then went to partake of the treasure upstairs.

As they left the castle with the reward, Arianna stood before her group"Well, team, our job is done. Now I must depart."

"You're looking for your homeland, aren't you?" said Alicia.

Arianna nodded"I am just happy to help you. Farewell, I wish you good luck."

"Same to you, I hope you find what you're looking for" said Trent.

The four disbanded. Trent, Alicia and Raymond went back to the inn, while Arianna seemed to linger a bit longer in front of Castle Stornway before proceeding to leave town.

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><p>That's it for this chapter. I apologize for my lack of details in some areas, but I haven't played Sentinels of the Starry Skies in a while, so I may not be as accurate as I would like.<p>

I know there wasn't much fluff, but I will add some in later chapters.

Please feel free to review.


	4. From Stornway to Coffinwell

Okay, here's another chapter in Trent and Arianna's Journeys. As a reminder, thoughts are ', " indicates dialogue, and _ is a change in point of view and/or a lapse in time.

Disclaimers: I'm you you know the drill, but the Dragon Quest series was created by Squaresoft.

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><p>Chapter III: From Stornway to Coffinwell<p>

Trent, Raymond and Alicia spent the rest of the day resting and buying some new equpment with their earnings.

As the sun began to set, the three went to their room at the inn.

"What a day, huh?" sighed Alicia as she put down her staff.

"I agree" said Raymond.

The Priestess then noticed her brother glancing out the window"You're being quiet over there, Trent. Is something on your mind?"

The Warrior sighed"Not much."

"You're a bad liar, it's about Arianna isn't it?" frowned Alicia.

"N-no, not really" protested Trent.

The Priestess smirked"Deny it all you want, little brother. Anyone can tell you've got a secret crush."

"Whatever" shrugged Trent.

"Well, let's go down to Patty's place downstairs" said Raymond.

"I agree" said the swordsman.

The trio left the room they were staying in and headed down. When they got there, they found Arianna paying Erinn for a room for the night.

'Arianna? I thought she just left Stornway this afternoon' thought Alicia.

Trent took a step forward to greet the Minstrel"Hey."

Arianna turned from where she was standing"Good evening, Trent."

"Uh, no offense, but how are you still here?" wondered the Swordsman.

"I went back to Angel Falls to gather a bit more information that I might have missed. The guardian statue there had a name just like mine on it, which caught my attention on my first visit. Anyway, by the time I had left Angel Falls, it was starting to get dark, so I used a Chimera Wing to return here and I plan to go to Coffinwell in the morning" said Arianna.

"My hometown's facing a terrible decease, even now. If you go there, you might not survive" said Alicia.

Arianna shrugged"That's what I'm going to look into. After dealing with Morag and the Wight Knight, I have a hunch that the decease at Coffinwell can be cured."

Alicia seemed to relent"You're really different... something about you just makes me want to try, no matter how hopeless the situation, regardless of the outcome."

The Minstrel turned to head the Suites"Alicia, I don't want to hold you guys up. Good night."

As Arianna went to the suite, the Innkeeper Erinn addressed Trent and Alicia"You know, if you think Arianna has a death wish, there's more to her then meets the eye. At least that's what I thought after she rescued Patty from the Hexagon."

"What more can you tell us about her?" inquired Trent.

The innkeeper shook her head"Sorry, but I can't give out confidential information about the guests and staff at this inn. Regardless, I don't know much about Arianna, I've known her for only a few days."

"I see, sorry to disturb you" said Trent.

After buying and eating dinner at the pub, Trent, Alicia and Raymond went up to bed after paying for an additional night's stay.

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><p>Early the next morning, Trent woke up and headed outside the inn. It was still very early, so not many people were out and about. The swordsman stood in thought'I think I'll get in some sword practice. The others probably aren't awake yet'.<p>

As Trent went out of town and walked a good distance away, he drew his blade and began practicing a series of moves and stances which his father taught him two years prior.

He exercised for the better part of a half hour when Arianna walked up to him"You're quite the early bird aren't you?"

"I used to get up at this time to train with my dad from when I was young up to two years ago, before the decease weakened him" sighed Trent.

"I see. Anyway, I have a few minutes. Alicia and Raymond are helping Erinn and Patty prepare breakfast for the guests, which includes us, at the inn to earn some more money. Shall we spar together?" inquired the Minstrel.

Trent thought for a bit, then said"You sure?"

The minstrel nodded, drawing her own sword"Yes, just don't hold back too much."

Trent shrugged, then got into a stance.

Trent and Arianna went into a light flurry of blows as they ducked, weaved and lightly clashed their blades together.

Their sparring lasted for minutes, until they tired.

"You're pretty good" remarked Arianna.

The Warrior shrugged"Yeah, my father taught me most of my skills after all. What about you? You were great, yourself."

The Minstrel replied"Well, I've been training since I was a child. Aside from swordplay, I was taught a few basic support spells. "

"Are all Minstrels as proficient as you?" inquired Trent.

"No, not that I'm aware of. Minstrels primarily support their allies, but my skill with a blade is above average. Shall we go back to the inn?" said Arianna.

"Yeah, good idea" flushed Trent.

The two returned to the Adventurer's Rest inn, where they found Alicia waiting.

"Where were you two?" said the Preistess.

"Just had a practice session together" replied Arianna.

Raymond grinned"Well, we just earned a bit of extra money. Let's go to the parlor."

In the parlor, the four ate a small breakfast while discussing a course of action once in Coffinwell.

"Apparently the mayor has someone researching some old scrolls and such, trying to find a way to end the deadly decease" said Trent.

"And the source might be?" inquired Arianna.

The Priestess shrugged"My grandmother once told me of some old ruin which lay north-west of Coffinwell. I don't know it's exact purpose, only the name of that ruin: The Quarantomb. Two guesses as to why it has that name."

"Then I will go" said Arianna.

"Mind taking us with you? Sure we'd be taking a risk since that decease would dig us an early grave, but it is Alicia's and my hometown" said Trent.

The Minstrel thought for a moment, then said"Okay, let's head out."

The four took their leave of Stornway and headed for the north east checkpoint.

The trip was uneventful, save for an encounter with some sluggers. Arianna and Trent hacked the monsters down while Raymond spammed Crack.

As they neared Coffinwell, the group was in for another quest.

* * *

><p>I know this turned out somewhat short, but I hope this intermission chapter was enjoyable.<p>

Please feel free to review.


	5. The Curse of the Ragin' Contagion

Another chapter coming up. Oh, and my creativity sometimes runs a little dry, so I can't come up with a better chapter title then this. Thanks Icedragon 777 and Sailor Astrallight for the reviews so far.

Remember, Dragon Quest was developed by Squaresoft.

* * *

><p>Chapter IV: The Curse of the Ragin' Contagion<p>

Raymond looked around as he and his friends entered Coffinwell"So what's all the fuss about this decease? Everything seems pretty normal."

"No, something is definately not right" said Arianna, walking ahead of her allies.

The four proceeded to the north west corner of town towards the mayor's house.

A voice shouted"Hey, Trent, is it you?"

A young man in his early twenties approached the group. He had a mop of brown hair.

Trent addressed him"Conrad, it's been a while."

"Same to you, it's been over a week" said the brunette.

"You know him?" interjected Arianna.

"Trent, Conrad and I know each other since when we were children" replied Alicia.

"Oh? Did you pick up a girlfriend in the last few days, you lucky dog? Nice to meet you, I'm Conrad" grinned the man.

"It's not like that. Anyway, her name is Arianna" sighed the Warrior.

Conrad shrugged"You sure you should be here? The decease is really contagious. Most of the Villagers are indoors, afraid the illness will catch on to someone else."

"Do you have it?" frowned Arianna.

The brunette man replied"Nah, still as healthy as a horse. I've been keeping my distance by hiding beside the church."

"I don't think that'd work for long, friend" smirked Trent.

"Big deal, so what are you guys here for?" inquired Conrad.

Arianna replied"I can't say for sure, but we needed to investigate the mysterious contagion and end it."

The brunette was astonished"You kidding?"

"No, and we really need to talk to the mayor about how we can help the town" said Trent.

Conrad shrugged"Well, good luck with that."

While the man went back to the church, Trent, Arianna, Raymond and Alicia traveled to the northwesternmost house where they met with the mayor.

After the introductions that followed, Arianna explained to the mayor regarding her, Trent, Alicia and Raymond's objective to help the town's citizens if they could.

Mayor Lorian spoke"I appreciate your willingness to help everyone. First I need you to check up on my daughter, Catarrhina and her so called husband at their house. He is working on diciphering an ancient scroll to find out more about unatural illness which has spread through the town. We hopr to find a solution to this problem."

"We understand" said Arianna.

The four left the mayor's house and went to Dr. Phlegming's house on the west side of Coffinwell.

Alicia addressed the woman who was relaxing on her bed"Excuse me."

"Oh, hi Alicia. How are things?" said the older blond.

The Priestess replied"It's been the same as ever for me and Trent up until the day before yesterday. We had hoped to help you and Dr. Phlegming find a way to save everyone from this strange decease. Though at this rate, I fear Coffinwell is on the verge of becoming a ghost town. How are things, Catarrhina?"

"It's been the same with us... My husband is very busy. What about you?" replied the older woman, turning away as she coughed.

Trent responded"my sister and friends Alicia, Arianna, Raymond and I asked the mayor how we can help the town. He asked us to check on you and the doctor."

Catarrhina walked towards the door"I'll go with you to visit Phlegming. His research lab is at the center of town."

As the group left the house, Raymond addressed Alicia"How do you know her?"

"Trent's and my mother was an old friend of Catarrhina and Dr. Phlegming" replied Alicia as they came to a stone wall with a door.

Catarrhina knocked on the door and stood back as her husband answered"Yes?"

The five entered the room, where a man with dark red hair was researching an old scroll.

Catarrhina addressed him"Hey, how is work?"

"Hm, I've made a breakthrough just now."

"Dr, my name is Arianna. The mayor asked us to see how you are doing with the scrolls he had your dicipher" said the Minstrel.

Dr. Phlegming got right to the point"Hm, according to what I've read, the decease is actually a curse. In fact, the source of the decease was sealed in an old tomb to the west of Coffinwell. There was no stopping the contagion which first struck Coffinwell with it's curse. If the source can be sealed away once more, the decease will be stopped."

"How to we re-seal the source?" inquired Alicia.

The man replied"I have figured out the spell which originally sealed away the Contagion, aside from some information about it. The Quarantomb was used to contain it a century ago, but the earthquake seems to have broken the seal. If I go and seal the virus again, my father in law should have reason to be proud of me."

Trent shrugged"Sounds like your family has issues. We'll help you out."

"Really? That is nice of you, Trent" said Catarrhina.

"My father-in-law has the key to the Quarantomb, which is what I'd need to get in there" said Phlegming.

"Trent and I will go get it" said Alicia.

The two siblings left Phlegming's room and rushed to the mayor's house.

Mayor Lorian was surprised"So that's the case? Took him long enough to finish diciphering ths scroll."

"Yes, and now we need to enter the Quarantomb to stop the Contagion" said Trent.

The Mayor nodded, then handed Trent a key from his pocket"Good luck with that."

* * *

><p>After Trent and Alicia handed the key to Dr. Phlegming, he them, Arianna and Raymond to accompany him to the Quarantomb, a monster-infested ruin northwest of Coffinwell.<p>

As Phlegming went on ahead, Trent and his group took a moment to check their supplies before leaving.

When they left Coffinwell, Conrad caught up to Trent"Hey, I was doing some thinking after our talk. Mind if I come with you?"

"Sorry, but you'll just slow us down" sighed Arianna as they walked to the Quarantomb.

"Look, I heard what was going on after you entered that grouch's house, just for a lark I decided to investigate. News from the outside world is scarce these days. Reckon there's treasure in that ruin?" wondered the man.

"You spied on us? Are you a Thief?" said Arianna, stopping for a second.

Conrad replied"Actually, it was getting kind of boring just waiting. I can do things besides treasure hunting if that's what you're asking."

"Treasure Hunter, huh? Sounds dubious" said Raymond.

"Heard that, Mage Boy" sighed the brown haired man.

"Quit bickering back there, now come on you two" said Arianna, annoyed.

The five soon came to a building at a dead end north west of Coffinwell.

Conrad spoke"Sorry if I'm such a troublemaker."

Arianna shrugged"I almost yelled at you back there. Conrad, this place is a tomb, so there won't be much treasure I imagine."

"Hey, it's no skin off my bones. Trent, I know you and Alicia left days ago to find a way to help save Coffinwell, but now you can, right?" said the brunette.

Arianna nodded"Well, let's get going"

The five entered the tomb to meet with Dr. Phlegming.

The man spoke"You're a bit late, but now let's get on with sealing the Contagion."

The group went deep into the tomb. As they proceeded, a metal creature appeared.

"A Metal Slime... Must be our lucky day" remarked Conrad.

"We don't have time for this... But good luck is one thing we can use" said Alicia.

As the slime fled, Conrad rushed after it"You lot go give whatever monster is causing the illness in Coffinwell what-for. I'm going after that slime."

"Not alone. Arianna, I will go with Conrad and Raymond to catch the slime if possible." said Alicia.

"Good luck with that, sis" said Trent.

Trent and Arianna went alone with Phlegming to the central room.

"So this is it" said Trent.

Arianna nodded"The Contagion shall not go unchecked."

* * *

><p>The intermost chamber of the Quarantomb was small with a small, shattered pot in the middle.<p>

"Hm, looks like the pot which imprisoned the monster broke" said Dr. Phlegming, bending down to investigate.

"What's the damage?" inquired Arianna.

Phlegming gave the jar a quick inspection when he saw a yellow symbol"Hm, fortunately, the symbol for the seal is intact. Hold on while I fix it with some glue, then I can seal the monster up again."

"Trying to put me back in that tight-jar, are you?" said a voice as a pink and green monster appeared.

"Hey, that looks like a pushover there" remarked Trent.

The monster growled"You'll never contain me. This contagion will keep ragin'".

"Great, I hate acidic jokes. Trent, you're with me, let's buy Dr. Phlegming some time to seal this beast" said Arianna.

Trent nodded, then the two heroes drew their blades.

The Ragin' Contagion cast a spell, which Trent and Arianna dodged.

The Warrior double slashed the monster, which retaliated with another spell.

Arianna healed Trent, while the warrior stood his ground.

"SIZZ!" A fire spell hit the Ragin' Contagion. Raymond, Alicia and Conrad had jumped into the fray.

"I still like my odds" jeered the monster, spewing a poisonous breath.

Arianna and Alicia quickly healed their allies, while Raymond slammed his attack rod into the monster, knocking it back.

"Any luck with that Metal Slime, Conrad?" said Trent.

"Nah, but I still got a strange medal from a treasure chest in the outer hallways" replied the brunette, tossing a throwing knife at the Ragin' Contagion.

The Ragin' Contagion dodged and spewed poison at Conrad.

"Crack!" Raymond's ice spell hit the monster dead on. The Contagion cast Decellerate, slowing the group down before spewing more poison.

"Accelerate!" cried Arianna, casting a spell on herself and her allies.

Raymond cast Crack on the monster again, while the Minstrel and the Priestess kept their allies on their feet by repeatedly casting Squelch to neutralize the poison.

Conrad spotted a treasure on the monster and snatched it.

"That's gross, why did you have to touch it?" said Alicia.

"It posessed some Royal Soil, rare monsters often carry rare stuff" replied the brunette.

The Ragin' Contagion spewed even more poison and lashed out with physical attacks.

Trent stood firm and launched himself forward.

The Ragin' Contagion warped out of the way. Raymond intercepted with another icy Crack.

Nearby, Dr. Phlegming managed to fix the jar, then recited an ancient spell.

The Ragin' Contagion felt itself being sucked into the jar. Locked away by the spell which was cast upon it.

"That wasn't so hard" breathed Trent, sheathing his sword.

"The curse should now be broken" said Arianna.

Dr. Phlegming addressed the group"Thanks. There is a ruin downstairs I'd like to inspect before I head back to Coffinwell. You lot go on ahead."

The five left Quarantomb and went back to Coffinwell.

"Hey, Conrad, you were really good back there. But what made you decide to fight? Treasure Hunters are not known for their skill as warriors" said Trent.

The brunette shrugged"I needed the excercise. Besides, what are friends for? I could not just stand by and watch you hog the action."

"Well, now Coffinwell is saved" said Alicia.

Conrad shrugged"Now I don't have to hide. I'm lucky I didn't catch the decease."

When they got back to Coffinwell and went to Catarrhina and Phlegming's house, they were in for an unpleasant sight.

They found the woman's body lying deathly still on her bed.

"Oh no, oh gosh" gasped Alicia.

Trent scowled"First our parents, and now this."

Arianna placed her hand on Catarrhina's head for a second, then sighed as she withdrew"I pray she'll find peace."

Dr. Phelgming entered the room shortly"Catarrhina, I'm home. Catarrhina?"

He approached his wife's deathbed"Catarrhina? The decease can't have gotten you..."

Arianna felt the man's despair as he cried"No... W-why didn't you tell me you caught the decease? I could've worked faster had you told me!"

Conrad sighed as he left the room.

Alicia and Trent left with him.

Raymond sighed"Why is fate so cruel?"

Arianna bowed her head"I can't say... The whims of fate are but a quagmire. The mayor is going to be heartbroken when he finds out. Catarrhina, may you rest in peace."

* * *

><p>That evening, Catarrhina was given a funeral and buried. Though Mayor Lorian, Trent, Alicia, Arianna, Raymond and Conrad attended the funeral with the other villagers of Coffinwell, Dr. Phlegming was not there.<p>

Arianna suspected that the doctor was grieving in his own way.

At the inn, an hour later, Arianna and her group paid to stay the night.

Trent addressed Conrad"Well, Alicia and I will leave Coffinwell to go back to Stornway. What about you?"

"I heard that Patty registers Adventurers at her Party Place. Maybe I'll join your group" replied the brunette.

Alicia shrugged"It's a small guild based in the parlor at the Adventurer's Rest inn, regular guests can use it too. Nothing too glorious if it's what you're after, Conrad. Besides, only a limited number of Adventurers may join."

Conrad thought for a moment, then said"I'll go to Stornway and ask this 'Patty' to register me if possible."

"Why not? We could always use help with our impromptu Adventuring guild" said Trent.

Conrad smiled"Just so you know, my specialty would be dungeon delving or spelunking. I don't do so well in big fights like the one we had with that blasted Contagion."

"Well, let's go back to Stornway tomorrow then after we visit the mayor one more time. Good night everyone" said Arianna.

As the group went up to bed, Arianna could not help but feel a light sensation coming from the southwest corner of town.

* * *

><p>Okay, this chapter is now up and running and ends in a cliffhanger. Sorry for the wait, I wasn't too sure how to proceed. As for the OC I just added, you might have guessed, but he is a Thief-type character.<p>

I know this chapter was kind of sad, but it couldn't be helped as it was kind of a tragic side-story in DQIX.

Just to clear up something, Sentinels of the Starry Skies only lets you have up to four characters in the party. I know you might already know, but I'd thought I'd say it anyway.

Well anyway, please feel free to review.


	6. Of Spirits and Truths

Mike AZ 2 here. Another chapter coming right up. Thanks Sailor Astralight, U.k. Owen and Halloween Witch for the reviews.

This chapter and the following won't have much action, but please bear with me.

Disclaimers may seem redundant, but Dragon Quest was developed by Squaresoft.

* * *

><p>Chapter V: Of Spirits and Truths<p>

Later that night, Arianna walked out of her room to outside the inn, following the sensation she felt earlier.

As she made her way to the southwest corner of town where several graves lie, she found Trent.

"Couldn't sleep?" she inquired.

"Not really. I visited my parents' graves and Catarrhina's just now, sure wish Coffinwell's curse was lifted much sooner" sighed the Warrior.

Arianna shrugged as she looked towards Catarrhina's grave, which had two more on either side. To her surprise, she saw four ghosts.

"Arianna? Is that your name?" spoke a man who had the same color hair as Trent's and Alicia's.

"Yes, and you were?" said the Minstrel.

The man sighed"I can't recall anymore, I had spent these past few days as a spirit. This cemetary is crowded these days."

Arianna turned to address the woman"Catarrhina... You're stil here?"

"Yes, but I am worried for Phlegming. When I woke here, I was dead. I must ask you a favor Arianna, and help him" said Catarrhina.

"You can see sprits, Arianna?" gasped Trent.

"You figured that out? You probably heard them, I'm amazed you didn't freak out like most would" said Arianna.

Trent shrugged"Yeah, well, I just feel like this around you. But I was surprised to hear my dad's voice from the grave."

Arianna turned her attention back to Catarrhina's spirit"So what do you need me to do?"

Catarrhina's ghost replied"Follow me to Phlegming's research room, I want you to deliver a message."

Arianna started to follow, but turned to address the warrior"Are you coming with me, Trent?"

"I want to remain here for a bit longer" said Trent.

"Heard that, I trained you tougher then this, Trent. You need not grieve for me, just follow your own path. Tell your sister I'll always watch over you two" said the blond man's ghost.

Trent sighed, then said"I can't see you, though I can hear. I will make you proud, dad, farewell."

The Minstrel and the Warrior walked towards Dr. Phlegming's research lab.

There, Catarrhina's spirit instructed Arianna"Phlegming will only answer if you knock on the door in a special way that I've done for him."

Trent shrugged"And the message?"

Arianna relayed the question, which Catarrhina's ghost responded"Many others would've gone if it wasn't for him. Those others who would've gone from the catagion are thankful for him."

Arianna knocked on the door the way Catarrhina's ghost instructed.

"Catarrhina?" said Dr. Phlegming as he opened the door. He was shocked"What? Oh, it's just you. What a cruel joke."

Arianna explained"Sorry, but Catarrhina wanted me to tell you that those who are alive who were sick are thankful for your effort."

"She did? Well, I don't know who else was sick from the Contagion, so I don't know what to say" shrugged the doctor.

"I know of four others in town who had caught the curse before my sister and I left. Come along with us" said Trent.

* * *

><p>Back at the inn, Raymond had finished making rounds at Coffinwell and went back to the second floor.<p>

"How was the patrol?" said the Priestess, who was waiting.

"All seems clear. Where are the others?" inquired the Mage.

Alicia replied"Arianna and Trent left earlier and are not back yet, Conrad was snoring away in his room. He is quite loud, so I knocked him out."

"Huh?" Raymond gasped.

"Just kidding, he went to keep a lookout at the town's entrance. Anyway, I've been thinking" sighed Alicia.

"About what?" inquired the Mage.

The Priestess replied"I... I'd like to go on a real date with you, sometime."

"Yeah, we've been busy these past couple days. Want to go for a walk?" smiled Raymond.

Alicia flushed"I appreciate it, but it's the middle of the night."

"What does it matter?" said Raymond.

Alicia shrugged, then the pair walked out.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, Arianna and Trent escorted Dr. Phlegming to visit the four people that Trent knew were sick.<p>

When they got back to the lab, the doctor sighed"Guess I never thought about all this. I suppose I have their gratitude."

"Got that right" said Trent.

Dr. Phlegming proceeded back to his lab"I'll try to be more of a part of the commmunity."

As Trent and Arianna started going back to the inn, they ran into Alicia and Raymond.

The mage spoke"Oh, hey."

"We had some business to take care of. Should I ask why you're up so late?" said Arianna.

Alicia shrugged"Raymond insisted... Well, you and Trent are great together."

"Huh? Are you sugggesting that... No, never mind. I'll just go back to my room at the inn after I pay my respects at the graves one more time" said the Minstrel.

Trent addressed Alicia"Dad's ghost spoke to me and Arianna, he said he'll always watch over us."

"I see, I hope he can rest in peace. But how in the world can Arianna see ghosts anyway?"

"Maybe I'll tell you sometime, but for now I must go" said Arianna.

The Minstrel went back to the cemetary with Trent. Catarrhina's spirit addressed Arianna"Thank you."

"No problem, just doing what I believe is right" said Arianna.

Catarrhina then vanished into the heavens.

"Interesting night, huh?" said the blond ghost.

"Yeah, no kidding" said Trent.

The male blond ghost smiled"Ah, well, 'bout time I departed for the heavens as well. Glad you could help Catarrhina, she should not have had to die so young though."

As Trent's father's ghost disappeared, Arianna saw the inscription on his grave'Here lies a proud former knight of Stornway, and loving father to Trent and Alicia.

"You never told me your father was a knight" said Arianna.

Trent shrugged"My sister and I knew who he was since childhood. My father often told me stories when I was small."

Arianna was silent for a moment, then said"Let's go back to the inn."

* * *

><p>The next day, Arianna and her group got together in the afternoon and went to the mayor's house.<p>

The older man thanked the group by giving Arianna a feathered headband.

The march back to Stornway was uneventful, save for an encounter with some slimes and sluggers, which they handled easily.

When they got back to the Adventurer's Rest, Patty greeted the five"Hi, welcome back. Who's the new guy?"

The brunette replied"My name is Conrad, I'm from Coffinwell. I want to register as a member of Arianna party."

"Oh, of course, there are still a few vancancies left for registered Adventurers at my party place. You can stay in the parlor until you're needed, Conrad. So what's new Arianna?" said Patty.

Arianna shrugged"I'm still in the middle of my travels."

The five went into the parlor for some lunch. Trent addressed the Minstrel"So now what?"

"I need to leave, my home still awaits" said Arianna.

"Nice knowing you" said Conrad.

"Farewell" nodded Alicia.

Arianna stood up and made ready to leave after finishing her lunch.

Alicia turned expectantly to her brother"There is still time. We don't know Arianna's destination, but you should at least let her know your feelings. You can't concentrate too much if there's something on your mind."

"But-" The warrior started.

The Priestess raised her hand"Even if she dosen't acknowledge your crush, you should at least get your feelings across."

Trent sighed"You're right, I'll go after her."

As the swordsman left, Raymond addressed the Priestess"So now what? Feel up to going out again?"

"Hm, okay. Conrad, could you do us a favor and make sure the area around Stornway has no monsters?" said Alicia.

The brunette nodded"Count on me."

The Mage and the Preistess left the inn, and headed for the surrounding wilderness of the Stornway region.

There, they inspected the flowers growing nearby.

"Pretty day, huh?" sighed Alicia.

"Yeah, and the flowers are pretty. Would be perfect if it wasn't for the monsters in the wilderness" sighed Raymond.

"Oh, don't be a pessimist. Wasn't that why you became a mage?" smirked Alicia.

Raymond shrugged"Yeah. So anyway, want to go to Angel Falls? I heard that the inn there was pretty good."

"All right, let's go. You brought some Chimera Wings? We should return to Patty's place by sunset" inquired the Priestess.

The mage smiled"You bet, I got some at the item shop on our way to the Adventurer's Rest."

* * *

><p>Trent exited Stornway and pondered which direction to take.<p>

'Well, here goes' sighed the swordsman, heading south west.

It wasn't too long before he ran into a couple slimes.

"Though I'm easy prey, huh? I don't think so" Trent sliced through the slimes and went farther on, until he came to a clearing.

There, Arianna was arranging her things in her item bag.

"Hey" said Trent.

"What's up?" said the Minstrel.

The warrior replied"I was just thinking... Actually, when we first met, I felt a spark. I wanted to tell you, that I like you."

Arianna was astonished for a second before replying"Trent, you're a good friend. If you feel for me, I can't blame you for that."

Trent walked a bit closer"So your thoughts about me are..?"

The Minstrel sighed as she glanced to her right"I'm decidedly neutral on the subject for now. I suppose that since you know a bit of my abilities beyond that of ordinairy mortals, do you wish to know my secret?"

"What is it?" said Trent.

Arianna replied"Follow me, it might be a little much for you to take in, here."

As the pair walked forward a bit and turned right, the fairy spoke to Arianna"Sure this is a flapping good idea, Arianna? Telling a common mortal your secret?"

"For shame, Stella. I hate keeping secrets, but I know it's better that not many people here know my true nature. Just please keep quiet for a bit." said the Minstrel.

The fairy grumbled something about 'flapping ametuers'.

"Hey, what's up?" Conrad suddenly caught up to the pair.

Trent sighed"What is it?"

"I was scouting the area, but then I saw you head this way" said the brunette.

The three (four if you count Stella) entered what looked like a seamless space, until Trent and Conrad were met with a surprising sight. A regtangular chamber surrounded them, decorated in bright yellow.

"It's beautiful" gasped Conrad.

"Thanks a flapping bunch" said the insivible-to-Conrad-and-Trent's-eyes being, heading for the console.

Arianna addressed the two male Adventurers"I'm not really a Minstrel, in fact I am only half human. I'm a Celestrian, a Sentinel of the Starry Skies."

Trent and Conrad's eyes widened for a second. Trent whistled"Really? Alicia's not gonna believe this."

"Aren't Celestrians supposedly invisible to the human eye? That's what the textbooks of legends at the churches say, not that I'm a believer" interjected the brunette.

"That, and Celestrians have halos and wings. Mortals barely know of our existance" said the 'Minstrel'.

Trent stuttered"S-so how come you don't have those if you are one of them?"

Arianna shrugged"You know about the earthquake last week? I fell from a cliff, and woke in Angel Falls. My wings and halo were gone, but I became visible. This train, the Starflight Express, is my ticket home now."

"I'd like to visit your home" said Trent.

"Its a sacred place, no mortal has ever been, nor are they supposed to. Trent, I don't know what my next mission will be, but you can come if you want" sighed Arianna.

Stella, who was watching from her station at the controls, sighed"Ready when you are, Arianna."

Arianna nodded, then said"Trent, Conrad, I will have to tell Raymond and Alicia. But we'll do that later, assuming I can find time during my real job to visit Stornway again."

"What's your job?" inquired Trent.

Arianna replied"I was assigned guardianship of Angel Falls before the disaster happened. Okay, everyone, let's go for a ride to my home."

"Yeah, cool" muttered Conrad.

Stella activated the Starflight Express, and the group took off.

* * *

><p>Below, Alicia whipped around as she and Raymond were heading for Angel Falls to check out the inn"I thought I heard a train... must be my imagination."<p>

"I'll say, are you worried about your brother?" said the mage.

The Priestess shook her head"No, it's okay. I'll bet he's met up with Arianna by now, but that dosen't mean Trent won't get an earful from me if he does or says anything stupid around her. He is very headstrong sometimes."

"Okay, let's not get too stressed. Let's take in the sights" said Raymond.

"You're right" shrugged Alicia,

* * *

><p>Hope this chapter is not too boring, but some more backstory was called for, and I needed to add a bit more fluff to it. I may not have been too accurate with the last of the Coffinwell side-story, but it's been almost too long since I played DQIX.<p>

Another OC will be introduced in the chapter after the next. I like the idea of a female Martial-Artist, but that will come after the next chapter, not during. I'll have to think of a name for that OC. Oh, and if you're wondering how the groups will reunite, the hero in DQIX does learn a spell that allows him/her to travel to previously visited towns, if that's any indication.

Please feel free to review.


	7. Visions and Dire Tidings

Okay, here's the next chapter. I might be cutting it a little close to 'Bonds', but I'll try to keep it original. My originality seems to dwindle sometimes, in-depth novelizations aren't really my strong point.

All Disclaimers apply: Dragon Quest IX was created by Squaresoft.

* * *

><p>Chapter VI: Visions and Dire Tidings<p>

The Starflight Express flew higher then Conrad and Trent thought possible. Arianna, having seen it in action before was not surprised.

The train just kept on until it landed on a mysterious plateau with a large building not far from it.

"Whoa" gasped Conrad.

"We're about to disembark. Where we are now, it is called the Observatory" said Arianna.

Trent was astonished"Amazing."

"We've stopped, right?" said Conrad.

Arianna nodded"Just follow me, and don't do anything suspicious. I'm bending the rules enough just letting you two come with me."

The purple haired woman then addressed Stella"Thanks for the lift."

The three stepped out of the train and onto the plateau to be greeted by a short old man with wings. Behind him were several other winged people, though Trent and Conrad couldn't see them.

"Ah, Arianna, you've returned" said the old man in a relieved voice.

Arianna nodded, then replied in a respectful tone"Yes, Apus Major. How are things?"

"Unfortunate. Since the Earthquake, seven sacred Fyggs have fallen, some of our bretheren disappeared in search of them. But Arianna, where might Aquila be? He went looking for you, and what happened to your wings and halo?" inquired the old man.

Arianna replied"A lot has happened, my wings and halo were lost during my fall and I couldn't return without the use of the Starflight Express. While I'm at it, mind if I introduce two of the mortals who I met on the Protectorate? This is Trent and Conrad. Two others helped me as well, but they're still on the Protectorate."

Apus Major was shocked"Truly? You enlisted the aid of four mortals and brought two of them with you?"

"This is unheard of, what were you thinking, Arianna?" said one of the younger Celestrians.

Apus Major shook his head"Other unheard things had already come to pass, such as the disappearence of some of our bretheren and the light storm which struck this very Observatory. Arianna, I will put aside your transgression, for we have more pressing matters to attend."

Trent's eyes widened"So trouble has hit this place as well."

"No kidding" murmered Conrad.

Apus Major glanced at the two mortals, then spoke to Arianna"I advise you to pray at the Yagdrasil Tree, Arianna. Perhaps its power will restore to you your wings and halo."

"What of me, sir?" spoke Trent.

The elderly Celestrian replied"Never had a Celestrian such as I spoken to one of you, young man. I am grateful for you and your companion's aid, for you helped Arianna return. But while I am willing to make an exception on her behalf as mortals are not allowed here, nor were any of your people ever brought here. I only ask that you be careful how you act during your visit."

As Apus Major returned to the inside of the observatory, Arianna gave a blank look to Trent.

"What?" said the blond warrior.

Arianna spoke"Being brave is all well and good, Trent, and your conduct with Apus Major was commendable. But like he said, mortals aren't allowed here, hence that is why this Observatory is only accessable to Celestrians. Do your best to conduct yourself around here, okay?"

"Yeah, might have been better if Trent kept his mouth shut" remarked Conrad. Trent glared at him.

Arianna shook her head"I couldn't intervene too much, anyway. Trent, Conrad, there is a sort of church in one of the buildings in the residential area if you're interested. It's downstairs, outside the main Observatory."

Conrad shrugged"I'm a bit of an atheist, but I'll check it out."

Arianna gave the two directions to the 'church' before proceeding to the Yagdrasil Tree.

The Celestrian knelt and put her hands together, closing her eyes as she started to pray.

* * *

><p>Conrad and Trent made their way downstairs through the halls of the Observatory.<p>

Eventually, they found a building with a church sign.

"What's in there?" Trent started forward.

The two men entered the building to find that the church was an extention to one of the hallways of the Celestrians' home.

"Hm? Oh, good gracious. Who might you be?" said the being inside.

"Oh, I'm Trent. Conrad and I are from below" said said blond, not bothering to look for the source of the voice.

The woman was surprised"You're not kidding! I can't blame young Arianna, though. She was curious about the Protectorate and its inhabitants when she was but a child, before Aquila took her as his apprentice."

"How old is she?" wondered Trent.

The woman blinked, not bothered that Trent could not see her"Fell for her, huh? Arianna is... well, while she's not as old as most of the other apprentices were, Arianna is quite bright, she's eighteen years old. Why did you ask?"

Trent flushed"No reason, just curious. Well, I'll just leave."

"Before you go, would you like to confess your accomplishments to the Almighty?" inquired the woman.

"I'll pass this time" said the blond, walking out the door.

Conrad sighed"He really fancies her. Romeo needs to face the facts."

The Celestrian Priestess spoke"Do not judge so quickly, I would think that love between a Human and a Celestrian would be wonderful. But listen to me talk, would you like to join me in prayer for a bit?"

"I guess I'll try" sighed the brunette, reluctantly.

* * *

><p>Back at the Yagdrasil, Arianna prayed long and hard.<p>

Trent made his way back to the plateau of the Observatory's third floor to see her.

The young Celestrian was deeply engaged in prayer, when suddenly, the sound of voices echoed through her mind.

In the image, one force tried to wipe out the Protectorate, when another intervened.

One of the voices was female, which pleaded to the male'Please, father, stay your hand'.

'Why do you interfere?' said the male.

Soon, the Celestrian's eyes opened as the vision shortly ended. A voice spoke to Arianna for a moment before granting her a teleportation spell.

"Hey, what's up?" said Trent.

Arianna stood up"I must report to Apus Major."

As the Celestrian went downstairs, Trent went after her"What was it out?"

"Dosen't concern you. Well, it does since it revolves around the Protectorate, which is what we Celestrians call Earth. How was your visit so far?"

"This place is amazing" said Trent, as the two rushed to Apus Major's room.

There, Arianna spoke to the elderly Celestrian"Excuse me."

"Yes? Did your halo and wings return?" inquired Apus Major.

Arianna shook her head, then explained the vision she saw while praying.

While she was talking, Conrad entered the room"Hey."

"How was your praying session, Conrad?" smirked Trent.

The brunette just shrugged.

Arianna rolled her eyes at her two companions before finishing her report.

Apus Major thought for a moment'Hmm... one light which seeks to destroy the world, while another seeks to save it... I do not know what that entails.'

"What is really a vision?" said Conrad.

Arianna sighed"We can't afford to let our doubts get in the way. Both our worlds may be in trouble."

Trent squared his shoulders"So what? Whatever we're up against, we could prevent whatever disaster may be happening."

"Brigadoom, the Hexagon and the Quarantomb may be mere playgrounds compared to where I might have to go. Apus, I know what I must do" said Arianna.

Apus Major responded"You and your friends are our best hope. Arianna, you must help take charge of recovering the seven Fyggs that fell to the Protectorate. As for our missing comrades, surely they can be found, too."

Arianna nodded, then turned to Trent and Conrad"I'm sorry I keep dragging you into my affairs. I can't recover the sacred fruits, the Fyggs, on my own."

"You think we'll see who might have caused the earthquake? It can't be natural from what we learned" said Trent.

Arianna shook her head"I don't know, my vision revealed nothing like that, but it's possible. Trent, Conrad, we should return to the Express, pick up Raymond and Alicia, then embark on this quest."

Trent smiled"No problem. I bet I can get in some sword practice on the way. We are a team after all."

As Trent, Arianna and Conrad left, Apus Major bid them good luck.

When the three got back into the Starflight Express, Arianna spoke to Stella about her new mission.

The fairy smiled"I'm looking for someone, myself. Old Fatguts is missing, so I'm looking for him, my pay is overdue."

Trent interjected"Who is she, by the way? I heard her but I didn't see."

"Oh, Arianna's friend, right? I'm Stella, Stewardess of the Starflight Express!" interjected the fairy.

Arianna spoke"Trent, Conrad, you two take seats in the passager car behind. Stella, we're ready for takeoff."

"All right, I'm on a man-hunt. Wish you luck on your fruit hunt, let's get moving" smirked Stella.

With that, she revved up the Starflight Express, and they took off.

* * *

><p>Okay, that wraps up this chapter. The Martial Artist OC will appear in the next chapter. My apologies of there was any OOCness.<p>

Please feel free to review.


	8. Alltrades Abbey

Another day and another chapter is on. While the OC Martial Artist will come into play this chapter, having additional characters beyond that might be difficult. Thanks again for the reviews.

I can think of lots of ways I can type down a disclaimer, but let's just say that DQIX is created and copyrighted by Squaresoft.

* * *

><p>Chapter VII: Alltrades Abbey<p>

The Starflight Express flew down to the Protectorate, the mission of finding the Fyggs and the missing Celestrians hung in Arianna's mind.

Trent, who was polishing his blade while sitting in his seat, could barely control his apprehension of what danger he and his friends may face.

Conrad merely stared into space, pondering who-knows-what.

The train soon began to hover above a continent where they'd never been.

The violet haired teen turned to address Stella"Somethng up?"

"This is as close as we get for now. we'll just have to land you near that blue tree, nearby" replied the fairy.

Arianna nodded, then went to tell Trent.

"So we're on a new continent now?" said the blond swordsman as he stood up.

"Yes" nodded Arianna.

Conrad shrugged"I heard stories of Alltrades Abbey, which lies on this continent. Supposedly, it is a sacred place where one can change one's vocation."

The violet-haired Celestrian shrugged"Well, sacred place or not, we'll need to look everywhere we can for the Fyggs."

The group left the Starflight Express, then proceeded north.

Just south of Alltrades Abbey, Arianna addressed the team"Conrad, Trent, I must return briefly to Stornway to enlist Alicia and Raymond."

"Yeah, but somehow I doubt that sis will believe me" sighed Trent.

"We need all the help we can get. Trent, you can come if you want."

"I will" said the blond.

Conrad shrugged"I'll look for information at the abbey. What do those Fyggs look like, anyway?"

Arianna replied"It's mostly yellow. Kind of ressembles a ripe pear, not that I've had or seen pears before."

The brunette nodded, then went up to the Abbey, while Arianna and Trent remained.

The blond inquired"So how will we return to Stornway? The way we came?"

"No, I know a spell that'll teleport us instantly to places we've previously been."

"Really?" said Trent.

Arianna nodded"Take my hand."

The pair held hands, then zoomed off.

* * *

><p>The outside of Alltrades Abbey was nothing spectacular, Conrad deduced as he began talking to some of the people outside.<p>

One of the people waiting outside, a young woman with short black hair and white robes over a black T-shirt and shorts, bound by a black belt addressed him"Not from around here, are you?"

"What gives you that impression?" said Conrad, coolly walking towards the door to the abbey.

The woman, no older then twenty, walked over to the other brunette and turned him around"What's your problem? Is that how you treat a girl where you came from? For your information, well you're kinda shady."

"Well beg your pardon, I'm busy looking for something. I was hoping to get some info, here, but it's not really your business. If you'll excuse me, I need to go in" said the male brunette.

As he arrogantly turned aroumd, Conrad found himself flipped over her shoulder and onto the grassy plain. The onlookers were shocked.

The black haired woman marched towards him"My name is Sasha Anne, daughter of one of the finest martial artists the world over. My family's style of karate is not to be trifled with."

"Call me Conrad" said the brown haired man, getting up and dusting his pants.

Sasha nodded, then spoke"So what is it you needed, if not to change your vocation? Not that I ever would, it'd be an insult to my family's name, we stick to tradition."

Conrad shrugged"It's complicated, but have you ever seen a bright yellow fruit? I know, it sounds kind of silly, but some friends and I are searching for seven."

"What's so complicated about that? What makes a fruit special?" said Sasha.

"I've no clue, either, but it's called a Fygg. As poppycock as it may sound to you, girl" said Conrad.

"Girl? Hmph, you've got a lot of nerve. If you insult me just one more time-" Sasha cracked her knuckles.

Conrad sighed"Well, I must be off. How are you so strong, anyway?"

Sasha replied"Want me to demonstrate? I had been training and studying karate since I was seven. Draw your weapon, knave."

Conrad realized that he'd gotten into a pickle, so he drew his dagger. His opponent took out a wooden battle staff.

The two lunged, Conrad having no intention on killing her, but thought to injure Sasha enough to make the fighter back off.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in Stornway, Trent addressed Arianna"I don't think they're back yet."<p>

Just then, Raymond and Alicia showed up by Chimera Wing.

"Where have you two been?" said Raymond. Trent went to hug his sister.

Arianna replied"It's a long story, but have you been to Alltrades Abbey before?"

"No, but what brought that on?" inquired the Priestess.

After an hour of explaining, Alicia was astonished"So you're a Celestrian?"

"Yes, and I'm searching for seven fruits called Fyggs. We need to join forces once again, I fear that some dark power is rising somewhere" said Arianna.

Raymond shrugged"Well, Alicia and I just got back from our date. The Innkeeper at Angel Falls seemed to be slacking off, the room was filthy, and almost no food was to be had there."

Arianna face-palmed'Ivor... He can't compete with Erinn as an innkeeper like that.'

"What is it?" said Alicia.

The Celestrian shook her head"Never mind. Now, I need you to come to Alltrades Abbey with me."

"All right, let's go" said the Priestess.

The three held hands, and again Arianna invoked Zoom to transport back.

* * *

><p>Conrad and Sasha dueled for a while, and no matter what they did, it seemed like a draw.<p>

"Not bad, but how's this?" Sasha swept Conrad off his feet with a blow from her battle staff. The thief was floored in an instant.

'Sheesh, how did I get myself caught up in this?' sighed Conrad.

The Martial Artist spoke"You lost, but you were better then I expected."

Conrad stood up"Well, you got me. Seriously though, is that how your family settles things?"

"No, but there was some bad blood between him and another man who looked like you. He wouldn't tell me about it, though" sighed Sasha.

Conrad was astonished"What was your dad's name? It kind of rings a bell."

"His name is Johansan. I just call him 'master' for the most part, or dad. He taught me everything I know about karate" said Sasha.

Conrad sighed"My father told me he cheated a man named Johansan out of his money once, but eventually he repented his thieving ways. They haven't been seen for some time, have they?"

The Martial Artist shrugged"Whatever happened with our fathers it clearly has nothing to do with us. As for my own techniques, only those who are pure of heart can learn them."

The brown haired man inquired"Well, I no nothing more about fyggs then you do, but I have to know for my friends' sake."

"I came here to hone my body and spirit recently, so I don't know much about recent events at the abbey. I can help you look" said Sasha.

As the two entered the abbey, they found Arianna and the others at the entrance.

"Conrad, where were you? And who's that?" said Trent.

The black haired woman nodded her head"I am Sasha, dicsiple of Master Johansan."

Alicia was surprised"Really? I heard he is a great martial-artist. How was he?"

"He's retired, but he passed his skills to me" said Sasha.

"I see. Well, name's Alicia" smiled the Preistess.

"I'm Arianna, the younger blond is Trent" spoke the Celestrian.

Sasha nodded"Pleasure. Now, I heard you were looking for a fruit called a 'Fygg'."

Arianna responded"Yes, there are seven of them altogether. They are very powerful, as they are filled with the power to grant wishes, but supposedly they can be dangerous."

"Sounds fascinating, but I wonder" said Sasha.

The Celestrian stood up"Let's split up and meet at the inn after getting as much info as possible."

* * *

><p>Another hour passed as the group gathered as much information as possible.<p>

The team was soon tired as they met in the inn. Arianna paid the innkeeper there for a night's stay.

"Arianna, I found some information" said Conrad.

"Really?" said the Celestrian.

Conrad nodded"The Abbey is in decline because their abbot, Jack vanished. According to some of the employees, he had gotten ahold of a strange yellow fruit, the Abbot was quite fascinated. According to the source, the fruit is probably eaten, of perhaps not. Since then, he'd acted strangely, someone saw him go to the tower to the east."

"What tower might that be?" inquired Trent.

Sasha face-palmed"The Tower of Trades! My father spoke of it to me, said that it used to be a place for people to go change their vocation. But the abbey now serves that purpose, due to monster infestations."

"The Abbot, and maybe the Fygg, could still be there" frowned Arianna.

Alicia thought for a moment, then said"Sasha, did your father say anything more about the tower?"

The Martial Artist shrugged"Yes, he told me it was supposedly sealed. But the seal is magicked with a motion sensor, if the correct motion is used, the seal might break."

"How do you know all that?" said Conrad.

"I went there yesterday. I thought I could break in and test my mettle against the monsters that dwell within" said Sasha.

Arianna shrugged"I can break the seal."

"How?" wondered Trent.

The Celestrian replied"I still have some Celestian power left, but it's dwindled somewhat thanks to my losing my wings and halo. Actually, I may know the motion, or pose required to enter the Tower of Trades."

Sasha blinked"So you are one of the ancient guardians I heard about in legend?"

Arianna replied"Yes. In the morning, Trent, Alicia, Conrad, Raymond and I will go to the tower and rescue the Abbott, if he's there."

Sasha spoke up"Will you take me with you? I know I might slow your group down a bit, but safety in numbers is better then dying."

"Seeing your skills, I can speak for you. Arianna, what's the harm?" said Conrad.

The Celestrian pondered for a moment"Diversity is all and good. All right Sasha, you're in."

"I will be my pleasure to serve alongside you" said Sasha.

"Okay, let's get some sleep and make ready to explore the tower, guys" said Arianna.

The six went to sleep, preparing to go find the abbott and retrieve the fruit.

* * *

><p>Sorry if I am lacking in too many details, but I think this will suffice. I hope it wasn't too boring.<p>

So far, each dungeon has had it's own chapter to drag out the fic somewhat, but occasionally I may make some exceptions. Beyond post-game, Erinn, Patty, Aquila and Sellma eventually become playable, so maybe I'll squeeze in those characters. Only problem is I don't know how Sellma would fit in storylinewise, besides her post-game quest in-game.

In response to u.k. Owen's review, another fallen Celestrian for this fic might be interesting, but I'd use a Paladin, Gladiator or Ranger class for him/her since it'd be redundant to have two Minstrels. But anymore then six characters would probably not work out. Not that I don't trust anonymous reviews. I have a lot to think about.

Please feel free to review.


	9. The Tower of Trades

Good Evening, thanks again for reviews so far. The action's picking up a bit in this chapter.

Standard Disclaimers Apply: The Dragon Quest series is created by Squaresoft.

* * *

><p>Chapter VIII: The Tower of Trades<p>

The six got up the following day for the trek to the tower.

Arianna wasted little time in ensuring her group's supplies were holding up.

"Who's to say our herbs have not gone bad yet?" said Trent.

Alicia shook her head"We may need to buy fresh ones soon. Equipment is going to be a problem as well, we all might need better armor. My stave and your sword can only last for so long"

The Celestrian shrugged"We should be able to go a few more days on what we have. There might be some odd jobs down the road we can take if needed."

The group left Alltrades Abbey and headed east.

"How far is the tower, Sasha?" said Conrad.

The Martial Artist replied"It's only a short walk from the abbey. What are you so worked up about, anyway?"

"Just trying to strike up a conversation" sighed the male brunette.

In front of the group, Trent spoke to Arianna"You know, this vocation change business sounds interesting. Like Conrad, I too had heard about it."

"I wonder about that... Most of My people held little interest in the Protectorate, save for the regions they're guarding. I never heard much of Alltrades Abbey before the quake and the lightstorm" said the Celestrian.

"Hey, perchance our leader is as 'human' as the rest of is?" smirked Raymond.

"Very funny. Celestrians weren't made of stone" sighed Arianna.

Soon enough, they came to a tower, huddled against an impassable mountain range.

Arianna stepped forward to inspect the tower enctrance.

"What does it look like?" said Trent.

The Celestrian stepped back"There is enchantated writing on the door. Some kind of rune is carved upon it... Oh, of course! It's a runic seal."

"How do we open it?" inquired Sasha.

Arianna replied"Says here, we just need to bow. The door's runic seal spell should fade so we can enter the tower."

"So why couldn't Sasha break it, then?" sighed Conrad.

The Martial Artist scowled somewhat"For your information, the seal is powerful enough that it might take more then one person to break it. Honestly! It's not the type of lock you could just pick."

"Let's just try doing what the runes say" said Arianna.

The group bowed before the door, which magically reacted.

To their surprise, the door seemed to go fade upwards, revealing a blank doorway.

"Abbott Jack is there, right?" said Sasha.

"Of course, my Intel is perfectly accurate" bragged Conrad.

The six entered the building into the tower's first floor.

"According to what I've heard, this tower is up to six or seven stories tall" murmered the Martial Artist.

"All right, gang. Let's be sure to keep our weapons ready, Trent, Sasha and I will take point" spoke Arianna.

The climb up the first two staircases were uneventful.

"It's too quiet" sighed Conrad.

"Look, up ahead" said Raymond.

Several monter shrooms appeared.

Trent cut down two, but the other five Mage Shrooms cast spells at the team.

Alicia quickly cut down the damage with Buff spells, while Arianna healed her comrades.

Raymond shot back at the Shroom Mages with Bang, stopping them.

"There may be more" grimaced Sasha.

"Let's keep climbing" said Arianna.

The next floor contained some Drackyamas and two Badboons.

Raymond made ready to cast another spell, but Sasha interjected"Don't, we might need magic on the upper levels. I want to display the fruits of my training."

"There are too many" protested Conrad.

"Do not underestimate my family's karate style" said Sasha.

The monsters charged at the group. Arianna and Trent cut down three Drakyamas, while Sasha unleashed multifist on the two Badboons.

The irritated mosters countered, only for Sasha to mow them down with her battle staff.

The rest of the Drackyamas tried to chomp on the Martial Artist, only to be met with a potent Wind Sickle attack.

"That's very impressive" said Arianna.

"Thanks" said the Martial Artist.

The next floor had four Badboons and two Shroom Mages.

Trent and Conrad diced the two shrooms, while Arianna and Sasha engaged the Badboons.

The ape-like monsters were tough, but were eventually brought down.

When the heroes made it to the sixth floor, they encountered a horde of undead monsters called the Walking Corpses, and several slime knights.

"BANG!"

Raymond's spell demolished some of the Walking Corpses, but two more countered with poison attacks.

Alicia cast Squalch on her allies, while Sasha, Arianna, Trent and Conrad dove at the remaining enemies.

The brawl lasted for almost a minute, as the Walking Corpses were easily taken down.

The Slime Knights proved more of a challenge, as Trent and Arianna dueled two of them. Sasha bashed down three more slimes.

Conrad ducked beyond one Slime Knight and stabbed it in the back.

The other two Slime Knights were eventually defeated.

"Bet that takes care of the infestation" said Trent.

"I wouldn't count on that. Monsters are persistant these days" responded Sasha.

Arianna sighed as she and her group went through their supplies and healed injuries incured in the skirmish"Hopefully the Abbott is safe. How he could've gotten this far could be very well questionable."

The group marched onto the final floor, and soon came to a chamber on the other side.

"I hear a voice" said Arianna.

"Door's locked, how do we get through?" pondered Trent.

"Leave it to me" said Sasha, looking around for a boulder, then using it to smash the lock.

On the other side, they came accross an old man in robes, who was currently chanting something.

The moment he turned around, the man spoke"Hm?"

"Are you Abbott Jack?" inquired Arianna.

The man seemed to respond, but it seemed as though he were posessed"Hm? Who might you be? No matter, perhaps you shall be the first to test the power I've obtained."

The aura emitting from the Abbott seemed to unnerve Arianna"Don't tell me... The fygg?"

A bolt descended from the air to crash onto the old man. The room shone bright as he began to transform. The six had to cover their eyes.

When it was clear again, standing in the old man's place was a demon with sharp pointed blades and wings. The voice of the man spoke"Hm, not quite what I expected. No matter, I shall simply change my name from Jack-of-Alltrades to High Jack! Hm, no, that's no good. Ah, I shall now call myself the Master of Nu'un! Now, to demonstrate my power."

"He's gone mad" gasped Alicia.

"Must be the 'Fygg'. Arianna, you said that fruit is very powerful, right?" said Trent.

Arianna nodded grimly"We don't have much choice. We have to defeat him in battle."

The Master of Nu'un cast an area-of-effect lightning spell, blasting the group.

Sasha doffed her staff and countered with a flurry of punches.

Master of Nu'un countered with a slash type attack, which the Martial Artist dodged.

Arianna and Alicia buffed and healed their teammates as they fought their Fygg-driven opponent.

After taking an unlucky blow with one of the monster's blades, Conrad gasped"Sorry, I have to sit this one out."

"Coward" said Sasha, focusing on her inner energy before throwing a knucke sandwhich at the Master of Nu'un.

The monster countered with another lightning spell, which was then countered with a Crack spell from Raymond. Alicia administrated a medicinal herb to Conrad.

Standing firm before the storm, Arianna channeled her own inner power and performed a magic dance ritual.

Trent and Sasha felt power coursing through them via the Egg On chant.

The Master of Nu'un cast lightning again, which Trent and Sasha withstood.

"How could-?"

Sasha immediately landed another quick flurry of punches, while Trent leapt ahead and swung his sword down twice in a Falcon Slash.

Raymond finished the job with a Bang.

The pressure proved too much for the Master of Nu'un, whose body became engulfed in a bright glow. When it disappated, Abbott Jack stood in it's place.

"W-what happened to me?" gasped the old man.

"You regained your senses?" said Arianna.

The Abbott spoke"Hm, I remember eating a strange fruit, which bestowed upon me great power. But it seemed it was too much, I thank you for opening my eyes."

"Long as you're okay, so I guess the Fygg is gone, then" said Arianna.

"No, look" said Alicia, pointing behind them. A yellow fruit appeared.

Abbott Jack spoke"This belongs to you then? Anyway, I must be back to the Abbey. What is your name, young woman?"

"It's Arianna" replied the Celestrian.

The Abbott smiled"You and your friends can change Vocations anytime you wish. Just come to the abbey."

As Abbott Jack left, Arianna picked up the yellow fruit, which had mysteriously appeared.

"If it was eaten, how could it just rematerialize?" wondered Sasha.

Arianna shook her head"Dunno, there are things that even Celestrians don't know or understand. I will hold on to the Fygg, the remaining six I will hold in my inventory bag as we find them as well."

"What? You don't trust us?" said Trent.

The Celestrian replied"It's not that I don't trust you. You see, the Fyggs are obviously very powerful, if they could change a man like Abbott Jack into a monster like what we fought just now. Now, gang, let's get back to the abbey."

* * *

><p>At Alltrades Abbey, an hour later, the group paid a visit to the Abott.<p>

The old man was pleased to see them"Ah, thanks again. Now, do you wish to change your vocations? By doing so, you can realize the full potential of your inner strengths and learn new skills."

"I am honored by your words" said Arianna.

Alicia spoke"Your Holiness, I am training to become a sage. My brother wishes to empower himself to truly become a master swordsman."

Abbott Jack looked thoughtfully at her"Hm, you seem to be on the right track, young one. However, the way of the Sage is not a road easily traveled, your healing abilities appear to be in the early stages. The Mage has the potential to become a Sage as well, but his strongest spell is at the first stage. The two of you should hone your spirit in your current Vocations first."

"And me?" inquired Trent.

The Abbott replied"You show promise to become a great warrior, young swordsman. With the proper training, you can master a select variety of weapons, as your sister and her boyfriend can with spells."

"How do you know about that?" said Alicia.

"Heh, I only surmised" chukkled the abbott.

He then turned to Arianna"And you?"

"I am a humble Minstrell, but right now I aim to protect others with not just support skills" said the Celestrian.

Abbott Jack blinked"Then the Paladin and Luminary Vocations would be perfect for you. However, you must advance farther in your training, so one of you will become a Warrior. Trent, Arianna, you two wish to change vocations?"

"Yes sir" said Trent.

The Abbott closed his eyes"Oh, Almighty! Guide Trent and Arianna to new paths in lives."

Trent felt power coursing through him, Arianna felt herself growing stronger as well.

"What is this?" gasped Arianna.

Abbott Jack replied"I have bestowed upon you two the powers of the Gladiator and Warrior. I wish you good luck. Perhaps one among you will soon have the potential to become a Paladin."

"Thank you" said Trent.

The six went downstaris and paid to stay the night.

"Well, at least we have some insight on some of the more powerful vocations" said Alicia.

Trent nodded, then turned to Sasha"What about you?"

Sasha replied"Conrad thought he should keep his vocation for a while longer. As for myself, the path of the Martial Artist is perfect for me, but I'll consider changing my vocation sometime. Arianna, I'd like to accompany you on your quest."

"Really?" said Conrad.

The Martial Artist nodded"I believe Master Johansan would be honored if I use my skills for the good of the world. Arianna, do you know what we're up against?"

"No, but I feel that there is a deeper connection to the events at the Observatory and this world. Sasha, welcome to the group, there is a small guild at Stornway you can officially sign up with if you wish, after we gather the six remaining Fyggs" said Arianna.

"I will be honored to aid you with everything in my power" said the Martial Artist.

Arianna nodded"Well, good night everyone. Tomorrow, we head south, I think there is a town there we should check next."

"Agreed. We'll discuss our next course of action tomorrow" said Sasha,

* * *

><p>Okay, another chapter done. Sorry if it wasn't detailed, I felt kind of rushed. To explain things here, the prerequisits for changingunlocking vocations requires doing certain quests in the game, but I don't think I can make that work in a fanfic.

Gameplaywise it makes sense, but storylinewise, it might ruin it a bit.

Please feel free to review.


	10. The Lleviathan

Okay, the next chapter is up and running.

Disclaimer: The Dragon Quest series was created by Squaresoft.

* * *

><p>Chapter IX: The Lleviathan<p>

The next morning, Arianna and her companions left Alltrades Abbey, and headed for the blue tree.

They sat near it as Trent addressed the violet haired Celestrian"So what's our next destination?"

Arianna replied"I cannot say for sure. Sasha, There is another town on this island, right?"

The Martial Artist responded"Aside from Alltrades Abbey, there is a small port village just south of our location. It's called Porth Llaffan."

"How do you know this? I didn't think of you as much of a traveller" said Conrad.

Sasha shot a look at the male brunette"For your information, I was born in Porth Llaffan. My father gave me a world map to use in my travels when I set out to train my body and soul."

"May I see it?" spoke Arianna.

The Martial Artist reached into her bag, pulling out a rolled up parchment and handing it to the violet haired teen.

The new warrior unfolded the map and studied it. Several islands laid in between five bigger landmasses on the map itself.

"It's kind of a small map, but it should still help" said Sasha.

The violet haired teen folded the map"I can see what you mean, we have a lot of ground to cover in our mission. Porth Llaffan is our next destination."

"So let's go" chirped Alicia.

The group walked on south, until they reached a small port village.

"Is this your hometown, Sasha?" said Trent.

"Indeed" nodded the black haired martial artist.

As they entered, they saw a group of people gathered behind a young woman in her mid to late teens.

"Who's that?" inquired Conrad.

The Martial Artist replied"Let's just watch and see what's happening. She seems to be in the middle of prayer right now."

Moments later, the group was met with an astonishing sight.

The waves from the coast of Porth Llaffan seemed to stir as a massive aquatic creature appeared. It was blue and red.

The being seemed to respond to the girl's prayer, as it splashed some fish onto the shore.

"How can that be?" wondered Conrad, as the villagers collected the fish that the sea being gave them.

After the commotion died down, Arianna approached the girl"That was incredible, who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Jona" said the other girl.

"It's been a while" interjected Sasha.

Jona was surprised"Sasha?"

The Martial Artist nodded"I left not too long ago, but I decided to return."

Arianna spoke"So what was that about? That sea mollusk seemed to listen to you."

Jona flushed"Well, you see, about that... Hm, would you mind coming to my house in a bit? I needed to talk to someone about what you just saw."

"We will" nodded Arianna.

The six dispersed to visit the local shops and houses. Trent purchased a new sword for himself and some herbs for his sister while Alicia tossed out the herbs that had gone bad.

Sasha and Conrad went to the inn to visit someone who was lodging there.

By nightfall, Arianna, Trent and Alicia went to Jona's house at the south east corner of Porth Llaffan.

"Sorry to bother you like this" said the younger girl.

"Not at all, so what's up?" said Arianna.

Jona replied"That creature you saw earlier... Since my father passed away, the Lleviathan, that great sea being you saw, has been providing the village with fish through my ability to summon him."

"Why should that be a cause for concern?" inquired Trent.

"You see, it didn't feel right for me or the village to keep relying upon it. Before, the people used to fish on their own without divine intervention. But since the sea no longer yielded fish, I was depended on for my ability to call on Lleviathan" said Jona.

"So that's Lleviathan? It seemed too gentle for that, but it could just be my imagination" said Alicia.

"Not long after my father died, the mayor offered to adopt me. But I want to tell him that I want, no, I need to stop calling on Lleviathan" said the younger girl.

Arianna shrugged"If it's the right thing to do, then why not do it?"

Jona replied"I'm not sure how the villagers would react, or what Mayor Bryce would say."

"You want to take a chance? Be my guest" said Trent.

"Don't say that, Trent. What if something bad happens?" said Alicia, incredulously.

Jona sighed"Regardless, I must tell him that I must stop summoning Lleviathan. Look, I don't know what will happen, but I must tell the mayor."

Alicia and Arianna thought for a moment, before the pueple haired teen said"Go for it."

"I will, oh and would you like to stay here for tonight?" inquired Jona.

"I hate to impose, but I appreciate the offer" said Arianna.

Jona smiled, then left the house.

Alicia could not help but feel a sense of forboding"I don't think this is a good idea."

"If anything bad happens, we will help" said Arianna.

"Well, you have never let us down before, so I shouldn't really be questioning your decisions" shrugged the Priestess.

"Sorry I'm late" said Raymond as he caught up.

Alicia smiled"No problem, where were you?"

The mage shrugged"Just asking around about a Fygg. Seems no one here knows about them."

"We'll keep looking, tomorrow. For now, let's get some sleep" said Arianna.

* * *

><p>At dawn, Trent, Arianna, Raymond and Alicia woke up, only to find that Jona had not returned.<p>

"What kind of hostess is she?" sighed the mage.

"I wouldn't jump to conclusions, I am sure there is an explanation" said the Celestrian.

The group stepped outside to be greeted by another young man.

"Who are you? Have you seen Jona?" said Arianna.

The man replied"Actually, she's in trouble, the mayor took Jona to the cave west of town. Most of the villagers went with them."

"You just had to jinx us, didn't you sis?" said Trent, turning on Alicia.

"I don't think the jinx is over, either" frowned the Priestess.

"I wouldn't worry" said a cool voice, as Conrad stood not far from there.

Arianna turned"Conrad, did you see them go? And wasn't Sasha with you?"

Conrad replied"Sasha and another guy who I assume is her father saw what was happening this morning as we were resting at the inn together. They probably went after Jona and the mayor."

"I'm still worried, either way. Will you go after them? I will open the gate at the west side of town for you" said Bryson.

The group rushed to the west side, where Bryson opened a gate"The Twyll Cave is that way."

Arianna nodded"Thanks for the info."

As Trent, Arianna, Raymond, Conrad and Alicia rushed out, Bryson followed behind.

Soon enough, they came to a cave.

"They went through that?" said Trent.

Arianna nodded, then hurried on"We can still catch up to them. Come one!"

The group entered the cave, the interior of which was comprised of stone platforms on a watery surface.

Just then, two monsters called the Man-of-War attacked.

Trent cut one down while Raymond stopped the other with Sizze.

The group trudged onwards, hoping to find Jona and find out what's going on.

* * *

><p>Just a bit deeper in, Sasha had managed to fight past some monsters with the aid of her teacher.<p>

The older man spoke"These caves are treacherous these days."

"Sure you're all right, Master Johansan?" frowned the younger Martial Artist.

The man replied"Do not trouble yourself. I cannot fathom how they'd get past this many monsters, perhaps we ought to wait for you companions."

"No, I can keep up. You did teach me everything you knew" said Sasha.

"Sasha, here you are" cried Arianna as she and the rest of the group caught up.

The younger Martial Artist shrugged"About time you were up, not that I can blame you. I don't know what Mayor Bryce is thinking, but I'm going to kick his greedy butt."

"Sasha, need I remind you of our family's code?" said the older man, who had graying hair and eyes the color of his daughter's.

Sasha shrugged"I know, but I doubt that whatever is going to happen will be pleasant. By the way, these are my companions: Trent, Arianna, Conrad and Raymond."

"It's an honor to meet you" said Alicia.

Master Johansan nodded"I wish our meeting was under better circumstances. I may have retired, but I still had to do this last job, I know Jona's father, well."

"Where does the cave take us?" said Trent.

Sasha replied"There is a cliff outside the second floor."

The group rushed onwards towards the second floor.

* * *

><p>It was an hour later when the group caught up to the mayor and his ilk.<p>

Arianna caught sight of Jona being forced to summon Lleviathan again.

Bryson yelled at the mayor"Hey!"

"Keep your distance, we musn't act until we know what the situation is" said the aged Martial Artist.

Soon enough, Jona had summoned the great sea creature again.

This time, before their eyes, the Lleviathan attacked, swallowing Jona.

"Oh no" gasped Bryson.

Arianna drew her sword"It's not too late, we can still save Jona. We'll just have to slay the Lleviathan."

Trent nodded, then the two rushed towards the massive mollusk.

Lleviathan swiped with it's tail and launched a tidal wave. The villagers in the area stood back.

Alicia healed Trent and Arianna, while Sasha threw a knuckle sandwhich punch at the monster.

Lleviathan retaliated with another tidal wave.

Drenched, Trent and Arianna slashed at it.

Raymond cast Sizz on Lleviathan, while Conrad threw a rock at the creature's eye.

"Thieves don't play fair, huh?" remarked Sasha.

The infuriated Lleviathan launched another tidal wave before Conrad could respond.

Raymond cast Bang, while Trent double slashed the monster.

Lleviathan smacked Raymond with it's tail, knocking him down.

Alicia proceeded to slam her staff onto it's head, only to be knocked down as well.

While Arianna stopped to heal her allies, Trent proceeded to slash at the creature's face, only to be shot back by a tidal wave.

Arianna threw a heal spell at her allies before facing the Lleviathan herself, thrusting her blade at it.

Lleviathan launched another tidal wave, only to be intercepted by Raymond's bang spell.

"Foiled" smirked the mage, as Trent took one final stab at the monster.

The Lleviathan seemed to succumb to it's injuries as it collapsed. It's mouth opened, and Jona rushed out"Thanks."

"No problem" said Sasha.

The Lleviathan began to glow as the ghost of a man appeared.

"Father?" gasped Jona, turning to see it.

The villagers and the mayor were shocked to see him.

The man's spirit spoke"Jona, everyone, I must apologize. Though I had fell from the earthquake, I ate a strange yellow fruit that fell from the sky. I was transformed as a result.

"So it was just a shell" said Trent.

The ghost nodded"My name was Dylan, Jona's father. I became Lleviathan to look after her. Jona, if you shall wish, I can take you away from here from these greedy townspeople. We can live together peacefully."

Jona shook her head"I'll be fine, father. I can stand on my own two feet."

The mayor, who was watching, paled"S-so you were Lleviathan?"

Bryson stood at Jona's side"Sir, I can watch over Jona in your stead."

Dylan's ghost smiled"I understand. Jona, it's time we said good-bye."

Jona said good-bye to Dylan as he and the 'Lleviathan' disappeared. Mayor Bryce fainted nearby after blurting a cowardly apology.

Sasha sighed"I wonder what else the Fyggs can do."

"No idea, but it looks like we may have missed that one" frowned the Priestess.

As the villagers departed, taking Mayor Bryce's unconcious body with them, another yellow fruit appeared.

Arianna picked it up"Well, now Jona's father can find peace as well."

The heroes and Master Johansan returned through the caves back to town.

* * *

><p>Upon their arrival, Johansan spoke to Sasha"So you intend to continue your journey?"<p>

"Yes, master" nodded the younger Martial Artist.

Johansan sighed"This may have been the beginning of your trials. Sasha, never forget, whichever path you may choose, I shall be with you spiritually. I am getting too old to fight, but I bid you good luck."

"Thank you, father" said Sasha.

Conrad shrugged"So, what next, Arianna?"

The Celestrian replied as they walked back to the inn"There is another continent to the east of here. So far we have two Fyggs."

"There is a ship that will ferry us there, right?" said Trent.

Sasha nodded"Yes, the port after this is called Slurry Quay. I went there with my father once."

Arianna sighed"Well, I'm pretty tired after our fight with Jona's father's spirit. Tomorrow, once we get to the next port, our destination after that will take us east, according to the map."

The six went to the inn for another night's stay after escorting Jona to her house.

* * *

><p>Took me about four days, but now this chapter is ready. My apologies for the wait. As for the OC Sasha's father, he dosen't count as a party member, just a 'guest' for this chapter, I promise.<p>

I know that I didn't give much background information on three of my OCs: Conrad, Arianna, or Raymond, but the Celestrian is pretty obvious, no offense.

Considering how Dragon Quest IX was designed, I might throw in a character or two from previous DQ games temporarily as guest characters, the rest of the fic will solely focus on the six OC heroes (Guests don't count, I promise). Except possibly where Aquila, Erinn, Patty and Sellma are considered if I decide to include some of the post game content after the Fygg chapters and the Gittish Empire and Corvus arcs (Excuse the spoilers).

Besides, considering how short the storyline of DQIX seems, the 'main story' portion should only take up to around twenty or twenty five chapters, can't make any promises though But who am I kidding? 'The special guests' might not fit in storylinewise, so I might just leave that out. I appreciate any advice/opinions on this matter, thanks.

Please feel free to review.


	11. Slurry Quay and Dourbridge

Mike AZ 2 here, another day and another chapter. This one is mostly talking, aside from some more backstory and bits of fluff. I apologize in advance if this turns out to be another boring filler chapter. I try to be as detailed as I can, just thought it would be awkward to just skip to certain parts of the main story. Some chapters are not going to have as much action as others.

Disclaimer: The Dragon Quest Series is created by Squaresoft.

* * *

><p>Chapter X: Slurry Quay and Dourbridge<p>

Following the events of the previous day, the heroes recupperated at the inn, and got up to ready themselves to continue the quest.

As they went to the beach, Arianna addressed her group"You know, we may be a little tight on funds at this point."

"I still have some travel money left" offered Sasha.

"Is there anything we can do at Slurry Quay when we get there?" inquired Trent.

The Celestrian pondered for a bit before replying"Like we discussed, there may be some odd jobs here and there we can do. Money aside, we may have to travel by water, for which we will need to buy or build a ship somewhere."

"Point taken there, so should we get going?" grinned Raymond.

"First we should find someone who will ferry us to the next continent" replied Arianna.

The group headed south east, when they ran into Jona.

"Oh, good morning" said Sasha.

Jona inquired"You're leaving aren't you, Sasha?"

The Martial Artist smiled"Yes, there is much that I have to do. I don't know when I'll return."

"Not to be blunt, but we need to find a ferry to take us to the continent east of the Port" said Arianna.

"The Ferryman is operating just south of here" said Jona.

Arianna nodded"Thank you, Jona. So what are you to do now?"

"Most of the villagers are now fishing on their own, I too will fish for a living. Sasha, you are leaving again, aren't you?" said the younger girl.

The Martial Artist put a hand on her shoulder"Yes, but I will still think about you, my master and our hometown. I am sorry about your father, but now you can do what you want, right?"

"Yeah, good-bye Sasha" said Jona.

The six heroes headed for the dock to find a boat, and a man standing by it.

Arianna addressed him"Excuse me, but would you mind taking me and my friends to Slurry Quay?"

"Hm? Oh, no problem ma'am. But I'm afraid I'll have to take two trips" replied the man.

Trent, Arianna and Sasha boarded the boat with the ferryman and slowly sailed from Porth Llaffan.

"Sasha, look" said Trent.

The black haired martial artist turned to see her father, Master Johansan. She murmered"Farewell, father. I will come back sometime."

The older Martial Artist nodded, then said"I place my trust in your friends. It is not everyday a father lets his daughter travel the world, good-bye."

The boat sailed for the better part of twenty minutes before reaching the beach, where a small Port lay just ahead.

Arianna paid the ferryman before leading Sasha and Trent to the Port.

"That's Slurry Quay, right?" said Trent.

Sasha nodded.

As soon as the three entered the Port, which consisted of two buildings, Arianna spoke"We will rest here while we wait for the others."

The three wondered to the first building, which turned out to be a makeshift inn.

"Arianna, want to spar again? I need more practice" said Trent.

The violet haired teen smiled"Why not? The exercise will do us good."

The pair went a good distance from the Port, while Sasha went to check out the shops nearby.

"Ready?" Arianna took her sword out.

The two lightly swung their blades, carefully maneuvering so that they didn't hurt each other.

While Arianna and Trent were sparring outside, Sasha was conversing with the owner of the item shop, purchasing a couple magic bottles while selling excess herbs.

When she was done, the Martial Artist dropped her bag at the inn before going to a room to meditate for a bit after paying for her and her friends' stay for the evening.

* * *

><p>Back at Porth Llaffan, Raymond, Alicia and Conrad waited a while for the ferry after checking their supplies.<p>

"Arianna sure is a mysterious girl, huh?" said Raymond.

Alicia shook her head"In some ways, perhaps. But even knowing Arianna's true nature, do you really doubt our leader?"

"No, but how would a Celestrian possibly lose his or her wings and Halo?" said the Mage.

The Priestess sighed"Who knows? But as fellow adventurers, and members of the same party, it's not our place to question the leader of our group. Best watch what you say or you might get kicked off this team."

Raymond shook his head"I'm not doubting anyone, I just wonder."

"No one can understand the whims of the Almighty. Conrad, what do you think?" said Alicia.

Conrad shrugged"I would've thought she was talking poppycock if not for the Starflight Express and the fact that Arianna can see things that we can't. Otherwise, I'm a bit of an athiest, not that I really don't believe in the Almighty."

Alicia sighed"You never change. Raymond, you have anything else you want to say?"

Sensing the challenge in his girlfriend's voice, Raymond shrugged"I just wanted to talk for a bit. Waiting for the ferry is kinda boring."

"Hey, I see the boat coming back" said Conrad.

The ferryman returned in his boat, addressing Alicia"Hey, getting on? Your friends went on ahead to Slurry Quay."

"Yes" replied the Priestess.

Alicia, Raymond and Conrad boarded the boat, the ferryman immediately began piloting it back to the opposite shore.

Raymond addressed Alicia"Kinda feels like we're world travelers, now, eh?"

"No kidding, I never expected a journey like this" breathed Alicia.

"The world is so vast, like the flow of the river, time never ends" sighed the Mage.

"Hey, that was very poetic" smiled the Priestess.

Raymond flushed"I happen to be sentimental right now. After all, since we don't know if we'll make it home alive..."

"Don't say anything negative, lest it comes true" said Alicia, her hand on his shoulder.

"Lovebirds" muttered Conrad.

"Heard that" said Raymond, cheekily.

* * *

><p>Trent and Arianna's sparring session lasted ten minutes before they tired.<p>

"You understimate yourself" said Arianna, sheathing her sword.

"What can I say?" said the Gladiator.

"Well, let's rest before going back to Slurry Quay" said Arianna.

The pair sat down, gazing at the sea and sky.

"You know, the view is quite pretty. You ever see the sea much?" sighed Trent.

Arianna shook her head"Up on the Observatory where my fellow Celestrians live, one can only see sky, and the outline of the Protectorate is not much to look at from there."

"Oh, the Protrectorate is what you call the land below that, right?" said the swordsman.

The Celestrian nodded"Yeah, when I was but a child, I sometimes heard from the older Apprentices and their teachers of this beautiful land. That was before I was trained to become the Guardian of Angel Falls in my teacher's stead."

"Sometimes my mother would speak of mysterious beings who were unseen by the mortal eye. Ha, one time I asked dad if he thought the mythical Sentinels of the Starry Skies were real, imagine her and my sister's embarrasment. Dad told me that while I shouldn't believe everything I hear, never doubt it if divine intervention saves your life, gave me a good earful. He was kind, but strict when it came to discipline" smirked the Swordsman.

The purple haired warrior shrugged as she pondered how much she could say without cutting close to unintentionally speaking against her superior"My master, Aquila was pretty strict himself, but I couldn't have had a better teacher, though I was nearly fifteen when I trained under him. Sure teachers and parents see more of our faults then we'd like, but it's the only way we grow up."

"Yeah, I guess" sighed Trent.

"But what made you ask him?" wondered Arianna.

The male Swordsman shrugged"Ah, dunno, just that Conrad and I got into a fight about it one time."

As the two glanced at the sea for a while, the ferry came into view. Conrad, Raymond and Alicia disembarked to meet them.

"Anything interesting happening?" said Conrad.

Trent shrugged as he and Arianna stood up"Nothing much."

Alicia smiled"Well, we can tell otherwise. Anyway, have you paid for a night's stay at Slurry Quay's inn, yet?"

"Yes, now we should really get going" said the Celestrian.

The five traveled towards the inn and went in. There they met with Sasha.

"I got a bit of information from the item shopkeeper in this Port, said something about another town east of here" said the Martial Artist.

"What did he, or she say?" inquired Arianna.

Sasha replied"Dourbridge is not that far off, but it takes another half day's march. Beyond that is a fork in the road: To the northeast of Dourbridge is a mountain range called the Hights of Loneliness, southwest of that is the village of Bloomingdale."

"Was there anything else?" said Conrad.

The Martial Artist sighed"We may have to get more info at Dourbridge, the locals at this Port don't travel all that much. Monsters have been appearing in parts of the countryside these days."

Arianna nodded"We have nearly enough information, the Hights of Loneliness might have something there. That should be our next destination."

"Maybe, maybe not. Sasha, what do you think?" said the male brunette.

Sasha replied"If we have to travel the whole world for the other five Fyggs, that is what we must do."

"She's right, after all, there's no mountain high enough and no valley low" smirked Raymond.

"All right, let's get some sleep and move on in the morning" said Arianna.

* * *

><p>The next day, the group marched on to Dourbridge. Monsters such as the Bewarewolf and Dread Admiral occasionally accosted the heroes, but they were dispatched, but not without slight injuries to the heroes.<p>

"How are our supplies holding up?" sighed Trent, applying a heal herb to where he got burnt.

"We should have enough" said Alicia.

Before long, the group came to a bridge with a small town beneath it.

Arianna breathed"Okay, let's try to find a few odd jobs to gain more funds. If we run out in the middle of nowhere, we'd have to zoom back to Stornway."

Conrad shrugged"I'll try to find more information, here. Maybe we can learn more about Bloomingdale and the Hights of Loneliness."

"Ugh, this place seems filthy" said Alicia, making a face.

"Can't be helped" sighed Sasha.

Raymond put a hand on Alicia's shoulder"No sweat, let's take a gander."

"Okay" said the Priestess.

As the group split up to get information and earn money from temporary odd jobs, Arianna looked farther across the bridge to find a mysterious sight.

The ghost of a young woman was standing not too far away, before approaching the purple haired warrior. As the ghost got closer, Arianna felt a tinge of regret and determination from the spirit.

The ghost woman examined Arianna before speaking"Oh... How could... No, silly me, mistaking someone for a Celestrian. What was I thinking?"

The purple haired warrior watched as the ghost walked in the opposite direction.

"Did something happen?" Trent had turned around from walking to the actual village of Dourbridge.

"I thought I saw... No, forget it" frowned Arianna.

The male Swordsman pressed"I heard a voice, but didn't see, who was it?"

Arianna replied"I don't know for sure, but someone else needs my help, though our mission to retrieve the Fyggs takes priority."

"I guess we should follow the others, then" shrugged Trent.

"You're right" said the Celestrian.

As Arianna and Trent went down to Dourbridge's main district, she thought'There was something about that ghost girl. She looked like she was in a hurry... As if she were searching for a lost loved one. I must find the other Fyggs before I can possibly investigate, but who is she looking for?'

The two went into the main village where they caught up to Conrad.

"Find anything?" said Trent.

The brunette replied"Remember the medal I found in the Quarantomb? I just realized that a man called Max Meddlin' lives in the eastern area. He's a former pirate who collects medals."

"Can we trust him?" frowned Trent.

Conrad shrugged"I don't know, I only heard rumors here and there. Let's go."

The three went through Dourbridge, until they entered a tent.

There, they met a man wearing a pirate captain's hat.

"Oh, who might ye be?" said the man.

Conrad replied"Sir, I am Conrad. I found something you might be interested in."

"What might that be? I be Cap'n Max Meddlin', if ye have any mini medals, you can pawn them off to me in exchange for a rare treasure."

The younger brunette took the medal out of his pocket and handed it over. The older man grinned"Ah, that be enough for a Thief's key my friend, if ye had three more. If ye bring me more mini-medals, I'll be willing to part with it."

"We'll be happy to help you out, but where would we find mini medals?" said Trent.

The middle aged man replied"Ar, here and there, in out of the way places mostly. Now be sure to come back if ye want to trade in some more mini medals that ye might find."

Conrad Trent and Arianna exited after bidding farewell to the mini medal collector.

Outside the tent, Alicia was waiting.

"What's up?" said the male Swordsman.

The Priestess replied"I heard what was happening, Conrad is lucky that the legendary Captain Meddlin' isn't as cutthroat as he sounds. Anyway, Raymond found a odd job for us to do."

"What's that?" said Trent.

Alicia smiled"He's already at it, selling off some items and doing requests for some of the townspeople. Oh, and Conrad, Sasha asked me to tell you not to talk to too many shady characters."

"I appreciate her concern, but some people should mind their own business" sighed the male Brunette.

"Let's just go, it sounds like we'll be here all day" said Arianna.

* * *

><p>I hope it wasn't too boring or rushed, but another chapter is finally complete. I believe I owe an apology for taking this long, but what can I say? Oh, and I couldn't resist adding my OC from the previous chapter one more time.<p>

As for Max Meddlin', I know he had no role in the main storyline, but I wanted to expand this chapter as much as I can. Don't get me wrong, I won't cover much about the Mini Medals, or some of the other side quests.

Hm, I probably should change one of the genres of this fic to Tragedy at this rate, since some of the side stories in DQIX were kind of sad, but I'd like to hear an opinion. Don't get me wrong, I like DQIX for the most part, just that it gets a little sad in a couple places.

Anyway, please feel free to review.


	12. The Hights of Loneliness

Okay, another chapter is up and ready to go. As a refresher, thoughts are', spoken word is ", and - means change in point of view and/or a lapse in time. Thanks Sol Da Soaring Lion of the Sun for adding this to favorites.

I'm not very creative with disclaimers, so I shall simply say that Dragon Quest IX was created and copyrighed by Squaresoft.

* * *

><p>Chapter XI: The Hights of Loneliness<p>

Trent, Arianna, Conrad and Alicia went to a church where Raymond and Sasha were waiting.

"Any luck on the odd jobs?" said Conrad.

The Mage grinned"Yep, one guy asked for something to help stoke a fire where he was camping, so I gave him a Horse Manure I found back at the plains outside, as repulsive as that may sound. But I did get some cash out of it. As for what else we could do, I heard of a group stationed at the bar who could use some help."

"Okay, let's get to it. Trent, could you do me a favor and buy me a new weapon? My current one has a chipped edge from sparring and fighting big battles. You can sell the broadsword for a little extra money" said Arianna.

"No problem" said the Gladiator before turning to address Raymond"Mind lending me some of the money you earned?"

Raymond handed his earnings, ten gold, to Trent"You're really whipped aren't you?"

"W-what? What do you mean by that? Arianna's our leader, so I can't just say no" said Trent, defensively.

Arianna shook her head a bit at their antics while Trent went to the Weapons Vender, the purple haired warrior handed him her broadsword as he went.

"Our little group is anything but boring, eh?" said Conrad.

"Let's just get to the tavern, any information that we can find about the Hights of Loneliness would be helpful" replied Arianna.

As they went towards the tavern, Alicia addressed the Celestrian"So, has Trent admitted his feelings for you? I meant to ask him, but things have been getting hectic lately."

"Trent said he liked me. I was a bit astonished, but I have to keep my thoughts on the subject to myself for now. As cold as this may seem to you, my duty takes priority over almost all else" sighed the violet haired Warrior.

"Heh, I know your type to that extent. But seriously, you two are just denying it if you ask me" remarked Conrad.

Sasha glared at him"Please don't start any arguments, I don't want to risk having our team disbanded by putting each other on the defensive over such trivialities."

"Now who's 'whipped'?" said Trent as he caught up to them at the tavern's entrance, breathing heavily as he had run to and fro.

"That was quick" said Alicia.

The Gladiator addressed Arianna"I managed to purchase this, it's supposedly made of a stronger material then your old sword."

Trent handed Arianna a sword with a semi purple blade, saying"The local weapon shop owner called this the Cautery Sword. I'm not sure if it fits into your scabbard, but this should work out."

"Thank you" said the violet haired warrior, shealthing her new blade.

The group entered the tavern, where Arianna addressed the local bartender"Excuse me."

"Oh, how can I help you?" said the man.

The Celestrian replied"I need information on the Hights of Loneliness."

The Barman was surprised"Are you Adventurers? It might take me a bit of storytelling to explain, so why not buy a drink?"

"No thanks, we're not thirsty" said Sasha.

The Barman shrugged"Well, I heard that the Hights of Loneliness is a dangerous mountain range, monsters dwell on the mountain. Now don't take it too seriously, I heard that someone has constructed a stone-like series of structures called the Zere Rocks at it's peak."

"The Zere Rocks?" frowned Conrad.

The Barman laughed"I thought I requested that you don't take it seriously. All I hear is rumors, nothing more to it."

Nearby, another man shook his head'that barman's got to be joking'.

"Hey, do I know you?" Conrad addressed the other man.

The man spoke"You're Jerik's kid, right? Name's Buster, leader of the B-Team."

"How'd you know my dad?" said Conrad,

Buster replied"He worked briefly for a rival gang of thieves that my team competed against. Got himself busted by some guy named Johansan that he tried to cheat out of his coin. Jerik spent a long time doing hard manuel labor at Stornway I imagine as a penalty after getting turned in."

"Truly? My master never spoke of it" frowned Sasha.

Buster replied"Well, you guys want to join my B-Team? We could always use some help."

Sasha raised her eyebrows"Aren't you a thief?"

The 'thief' shrugged"I only steal from those who deserve it and give it to the less fortunate. Anyway guy, let me know because I need help recovering a certain treasure from a cave north of a town called Bloomingdale."

Conrad sighed"Never thought about joining a group."

Arianna interjected"He really needs our help. Buster, where could we find the treasure you need?"

Buster replied"You don't have help if you don't want to, but a beast called the Hunter Mech stole a Tycoon's Trove, and we need help taking it back."

Conrad thought for a moment before replying"All right, we'll help if we can, I'm just a novice thief and treasure hunter. We'll check out the cave if we're in the area."

"Well, be sure to bring back the Tycoon's Trove when you get it, all right?" said Buster.

Arianna nodded, then signaled her team to leave.

The six went to the inn, where they stayed the rest of the day and night.

"So the Hights of Loneliness is teeming with monsters, can we make it to the top?" said Sasha.

Arianna shrugged"We can do it, now let's try to get some sleep guys."

* * *

><p>The next morning found the group eating a light breakfast consisted of some vegetables that Trent and Alicia bought and made into a salad.<p>

When they were finished, the six heroes left the inn, walked up to the bridge overlooking Dourbridge and went north east.

It didn't take long before they came to a cave which led to a grassy passage.

"All right, it's time to do some mountain climbing" said Arianna.

Three Slime Knights blocked the way, but Raymond blasted them aside with Boom.

"That barman wasn't kidding about the monsters" said Trent.

The group delved farther in, until they came to some vines which led to the ledge above.

"These vines don't look stable, one of us should climb up at a time" remarked Trent.

"My thoughts exactly" said the purple haired warrior, who started going ahead.

The team climbed up to a tier of platforms, where Conrad spotted a treasure chest there.

But nearby, some Toxic Zombies and a Hocus Chimaera appeared.

Sasha knocked down two Zombies, while Raymond blasted two more monsters with Bang.

While his five teammates took down the monsters, Conrad picked up two more mini medals from the chest and pocketed them"Looks like Meddlin' is right."

"Just one more until you can trade the mini medals for the key that Cap'n Meddlin' promised, right?" said Trent.

Conrad nodded, then the six climbed higher up to more platforms and entered a cave.

The journey got even more treacherous as several Grin Nades and Slime Knights attacked.

"I don't have the time to fool around you guys, Bang!" Raymond cast a spell.

The Grin Nades self destructed from the blast, while Arianna, Trent and Sasha engaged the Slime Knights.

Sasha knocked one Slime Knight off it's steed and smashed the slime itself.

Trent and Arianna parried their opponents' blows before finishing them.

The higher they went, the more the heroes' resources started to drain a bit.

"We should get some rest once we're at the top" sighed Conrad.

"I think we're more then half way to the peak" said Arianna.

The climb to the peak was smooth sailing, save for a couple more monster encounters which they dispatched with ease.

Sure enough, when they emerged from the cave, the group came to a plateau.

"Looks like the sun is high already" commented Alicia.

"Must be noon, then" murmered Raymond.

As they stopped to take a break from climbing, Trent heard a voice groaning nearby and rushed to the source.

There, he found a man collapsed near the steps leading to the very top of the Hights.

"Oh no, Alicia!" called the blond Gladiator.

"What it it?" inquired the Priestess, rushing to her brother' side.

The man on the ground seemed to be in pain as he spoke"Anyone here? I need help."

"Who are you?" said Trent.

"Christopher Collapsus" gasped the man, who had somewhat a small cut on his chest and a gash on his arm.

Alicia shook his head"He's in immense pain, but nothing that some medicine won't fix. Trent, you go tell Arianna about this while I try to synthesize some special medicine from my herbs."

Trent nodded, then left his sister to her work.

The better part of an hour was spent on healing the injured man as Alicia cast heal spells on the gash, and transferred a bit of her power into a herb which she braided together with an antidote herb.

"Any luck?" Arianna approached.

Alicia shrugged as she tied together another medicinal herb to the mix"It's no special medicine, but it should hold him up."

The Priestess handed the medicine to the injured man, who forced himself to take the medicine. Within seconds, the last of his injuries were healed by the herb's magic.

Soon, the man stood up"Thanks, I was injured on my way up."

"At least you're better now" said Conrad.

Christopher reached into his pocket, pulled out some paper and handed it to Alicia"This is all I can do to repay you."

Alicia graciously acceped the paper, which turned out to be some kind of map.

"Thank you" said Arianna.

"Well, I will soon be heading down, see ya'" said Christopher Collapsus.

Alicia nodded as she rolled up the unknown map and put it in her bag.

Arianna, Trent, Conrad, Sasha, Alicia and Raymond bade good luck to the explorer before climbing the final set of steps to an astonishing sight.

It looked like the village of Zere. Except it all comprised of stone.

"So this is Zere Rocks" said Trent.

The group looked around until they entered a building, which happened to be the only one with an entrance.

To their surprise, a talking slime greeted them"Hey, welcome to Zere Rocks. Some guy called Stone Mason built this place."

"Really? Whatever for?" said Arianna.

The slime replied"Guy was heartbroken supposedly, his girlfriend married another man. He built the Zere Rocks, and somehow stationed a guardian here."

Just then, the ground shook.

"What the?" gasped Conrad.

The six rushed outside to be greeted by the sight of a monsterous stone gargoyle with massive wings on it's back.

"Bang!" Raymond cast a spell at the creature.

The monster shrugged off the damage as it growled'Fool, I am Garth Goyle, guardian of this stone village'.

With that, it charged at the Mage.

Conrad stepped in the way and was knocked backward.

Alicia healed Conrad, while Trent slashed Garth Goyle only to have his sword bounce off.

"Talk about hard skin, we may have to rely on magic" grunted the blond swordsman.

Raymond tried Crack, which staggered Garth Goyle.

The stone guardian punched Raymond, while Conrad darted behand and stabbed it in the 'wings'.

Garth Goyle roared in pain and bashed the thief.

Arianna and Alicia healed their allies while Raymond shot Crack at it.

Garth Goyle stubbornly blew a ice breath at the group.

Trent ducked beneath it and slashed at it's neck.

The blade made a crack on Garth Goyle, which retaliated by throwing a punch at Trent.

Sasha brought her battle stave down hard on it's head.

While Garth Goyle was staggered, Raymond cast another Crack spell on it.

Now that it was starting to get cracks, the monster desparately threw a knuckle sandwhich at Raymond, which Alicia intercepted.

Sasha used one of her medicinal herbs on the Priestess, while Arianna executed a double slash on Garth Goyle, the Cautery sword ripped a crack on it's chest.

As the monster countered, Trent ran it through with a powerful thrust.

Garth Goyle roared in pain as Trent tore his sword out, ducking out of the way while Raymond cast Bang on it.

The monster staggered towards the wall, Sasha smirked"Just the way I want you."

The Martial Artist focused her inner energy before lashing out with a mighty knucke sandwhich.

The stone guardian was thrown farther towards the wall, crashing into it.

With more cracks to exploit, Raymond threw a final Bang spell, blasting the creature apart.

As Garth Goyle crumbled into dust, Conrad smirked"That did it."

Suddenly, the ghost of an old man appeared.

"Are you Stone Masion?" inquired Arianna.

The man nodded"Yes, and I'm sorry I put you all through this."

"What do you mean?" said the purple haired warrior.

The ghost replied"I built Zere Rocks, trying to recreate the town as it was long ago. I was alive at the time, and my girlfriend had married someone else. With the power of a strange yellow fruit, the Garth Goyle was created to guard this place."

"So what will happen to Zere Rocks?" inquired Trent.

Masion replied"Eventually it will crumble. But now I have no regrets, good bye."

As the man faded into the afterlife, a yellow Fygg appeared.

Trent smiled"Well, now we have three."

Arianna added the fruit to her items in her bag"This battle was very tiring, let's zoom back to Stornway and get some rest."

"I agree with that" nodded Sasha.

"Where can the other Fyggs be?" wondered Trent.

"We don't know, but after we get some rest, Bloomingdale is our next destination" said the purple haired warrior.

The group held hands, and Arianna cast Zoom, teleporting them to Stornway.

* * *

><p>Took me seven days, but here it is. Sorry for the wait, even I get writer's block sometimes. As for the unkown treasure map, I can explain more in a future chapter, but the main story is my focus for now.<p>

I take responsibility for any details that I might be lacking, but using the exact script dosen't suit well with me. That, and I was a bit tired when I finished this.

Please feel free to review.


	13. Bloomingdale

Another chapter is up and ready. Hm, seems I forgot to mention that last chapter somewhat ended in a cliffhanger, oh well. This one is mostly talking, but there will be more action next chapter.

Disclaimer: I might be getting a little redundant here, but Dragon Quest IX is created and copyrighted by Square Enix.

* * *

><p>Chapter XII: Bloomingdale<p>

Arianna and her team arrived back at Stornway via the Zoom Spell and walked on back to the Quester's Rest inn. The town had once again begun enjoying peace, since the incident with the Wight Knight had been resolved.

"Man, feels great to be back again" sighed Trent.

"You can say that again. I will go check on Erinn and Patty at the inn, while we're here" said Arianna.

The six entered the inn to find that someone else they'd never seen before had arived. It was a blond woman in her early to mid thirties with a green and white dress with white shoulder-length gloves. Aisha guessed that she came from a wealthy family, given the fancy attire.

Next to the blond woman, the Innkeeper, Erinn addressed the violet haired Celestrian"Hello Arianna, it's been a while, how have you guys been?"

"It's a long story, but there's been a lot going on. Who is the new girl?" inquired the Celestrian.

The blond woman smiled"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Sellma. I came here the other day to sell my wares, just to help drum up a little business in this inn. I realize that you may not have heard about me, but let's just say that I came from quite a ways from Stornway."

"You're a merchant? What do you have for sale?" inquired Alicia.

The merchant replied"I have some very expensive, very valuable stuff, if you guys are interested. I also carry common items, but rare goods are my specialty."

"We'll keep that in mind. Erinn, how's business?" inquired the female warrior.

The Innkeeper replied"The inn has become quite popular. In fact, special guests occasionally show up here and there. The guests in question tend to come from faraway places, they are actually famous people according to themselves. I always let celebrities stay in the Royal Suites upstairs."

Patty took notice of the Martial Artist hanging with the rest of the violet haired leader's group"Hey there, my name is Patty. Would ya' mind telling me your name?"

The Martial Artist replied"I'm Sasha, ma'am. I recently joined with Arianna's group, and we're on a mission."

Arianna addressed Sellma"You said you have rare stuff, right? Have you seen anything like this?" She showed her one of the Fyggs.

The merchant blinked"Hm, nope, can't say that I have. I have nothing like that in my inventory, but I have a hunch that it must be important. But come to think of it, I heard some very unusual rumors in my travels before I arrived at Quester's Rest. Rumors are just that, though, nothing but rumors."

"Rumors? About what?" said Conrad, puzzled.

The blond woman glanced at him briefly before replying"My source of information is classified, but I was informed about the so-called Zere Rocks and that earthquake the other day. No biggie, I just go about my business, but enough about me. I will show you one of the rare goods I recieve here and there."

Sellma reached into her sack, which lay to her right, taking out a mysterious, weapon with a white head and light brown shaft.

"That's a interesting weapon you have there, Miss Sellma" said Trent.

The merchant responded"Just call me Sellma, okay? You don't need to be so formal with me, I'm not that old. Now, this Celestial Lance is worth a whopping amount of gold, if you are interested."

Trent was surprised"That's amazing. If I had a lot more money on hand then what my group is carrying, I could probably afford it."

Sellma put the spear back in her inventory bag"Hm, that's too bad. Anything else you might be interested in?"

"Not at the moment, but we're happy to shop here. Erinn, that celebrity you mentioned, do you know who that might be?" inquired Arianna.

The Innkeeper replied"I don't know for sure, only that she came from parts unknown to stay a bit at the Quester's Rest. By the way, Sasha, right? Would you like the register yourself into Patty's Party Place? It's kind of a small adventuring guild run by Patty, who also works at this inn."

The Martial Artist thought for a moment, then said"As the daughter of a great Master Martial Artist, I am traveling to train my body and spirit to become a master Martial Artist myself. But I would be honored to offically become a member of Patty's Party Place."

"That's great, welcome to the club" smiled Patty as she put down the Martial Artist's name on her list of Adventurers.

Arianna addressed the innkeeper"Erinn, would you mind if I pay our mystery guest a visit at the Suite?"

Erinn nodded"Why not? You volunteered to help out with the inn. It's only right that you get to meet the guests who come to the Quester's Rest. But just so you know, some of the special guests who come here are quite eccentric, some of the regulars claim that they must come from other dimensions. Oh, looks like you're tired, would you like to spend the night? I'll give you a special staff rate."

Arianna smiled"Yes, my friends and I needed to rest after today. Will twenty gold be enough?"

"Absolutely, have a nice stay" smiled Erinn as the pueple haired Warrior forked over the coins.

Conrad addressed the Martial Artist"I think I'll chill a bit at the parlor. Would you like to join me?"

Sasha nodded"We all need the rest."

"I shouldn't need to say it, but enjoy your rest while we're here team. I don't know when next I'll break from our traveling" said Arianna.

Trent and Arianna went to the elevator which lead up to the suites. Alicia and Raymond headed outside to check on things outside, while Conrad and Sasha walked into the parlor.

The former three headed upstairs to a series of rooms and walked on until they came to a closed door at their right.

Just as Arianna knocked, a voice spoke out"Yes? Who is it?"

"I'm Arianna, I want to meet you" said the purple haired teen.

The door opened to reveal a young woman with pueple clothes, brown silk gloves, blue eyes and reddish hair which is held up in a bun. She looked surprised"Oh, are you a part-timer at this inn? I never saw you before, even in the evenings. I'm not complaining, just wondering."

The purple haired warrior replied"I'm only a promoter for the Quester's Rest, I am not a permanent staff member. I don't get paid much, but that's not my primary concern. May I ask your name?"

The red head replied"My name is Ashlynn, a Sorceress from Sorceria in another world. My pursuit for knowledge led me to this wonderful inn, that Erinn is a great innkeeper. The newcomer, Sellma isn't bad, but I could tell that she has a hidden past. I automatically assumed that Patty at this inn was the same person from my world, but quickly dismissed the idea."

Arianna shrugged"It's a pleasure to meet you. Is that talk I briefly heard about you and other guests on this floor being from other dimensions true?"

"I don't understand everything, myself. I only came to visit the inn yesterday, as it was mentioned on the billboard in front of this town's entrance. Now I don't mean to be rude, but I'm a busy woman and must leave this place in two days, starting this evening" said Ashlynn.

"What do you mean?" said Trent, perplexed.

The sorceress replied"The kingdom of Stornway is part of your world, correct? Well, the world is full of mysteries. Aside from people from my home, otherworlders are allowed to visit, but we can't interfere too much in your world. King Zenith spoke to me of this, but whether or not that is true is unknown. I will return to my world to focus on my studies."

"I don't mean to pry, but how did you come to this world?" said Trent.

"King Zenith has spoken to me about a Celestial Entity named Pavo, apparently he alone among his kind can and/or dare to open doors and portals to other worlds and dimsensions. There is that, and a mysterious light storm penetrated a fourth wall somewhere, I have connections in my world in the 'real' realm, but it is far too outrageous to inform the king of Somnia in my world. Whatever the cause of the fourth wall collapse is, I intend to study it from my world" said the red headed sorceress.

"I see. Well, I hope you enjoy your stay, Ashlynn" said Arianna, turning to walk away.

"Same to you, oh and one more thing. Take this with you, Patty made this for me, but I don't really need it. It has magical properties built in through alchemy, and my own magic" said Ashlynn, handing over what looked like a wig resembling her hair.

Arianna accepted the present, saying"Thank you."

As Trent and his companion went to one of the regular rooms, the blond swordsman spoke"You know, the mysteries that Ashlynn spoke of sound like something worth looking into. Maybe we could check it out after finding the Fyggs."

Arianna shook her head"The Fourth Wall is nothing to be concerned about, whatever it is. Even when we get the Fyggs and I return them to the Observatory, I don't know what may happen after that is done."

"Will you still be around?" inquired the blond.

Arianna replied as they reached one of the bedrooms"Don't misunderstand, the primary reason Celestrians were helping people was so they could gather enough Benevolessence, a crystalized substance which only pure Celestrians could see. With that substance, we helped the Yagdrasil Tree bear fruit to the very Fyggs we're looking for. The Starflight Express was to be my people's ticket to the Realm of the Almighty, before the Lightstorm happened. But let's not dwell too much on this, we must depart tomorrow for Bloomingdale."

The two entered one room with two separate beds. Trent addressed the violet haired warrior"See you tomorrow, then?"

"Yes, good night" replied Arianna.

* * *

><p>Conrad and Sasha bought an early dinner consisting of some fish and chips and were eating in the parlor a few minutes earlier.<p>

"What do you think of our quest, Sasha?" said Conrad.

The Martial Artist replied after swallowing a bite of her fish sandwhich"Our quest for the Fyggs are so far successful, but my intuition says that some great evil is at work, the Earthquake we experianced could not have been a coincidence. Earthquakes are rare enough that there shouldn't have been any at Angel Falls or any of the other places that Arianna visited."

"I am not very supersitious myself" shrugged Conrad around a bit of his sandwhich.

Sasha sighed"Well, we should probably go to bed soon."

The two finished their dinner and went to one of the vacent rooms.

* * *

><p>The following day, Trent, Arianna and the rest of their group left the inn after paying Sellma and Erinn another visit. The group started to leave when Ashlynn caught up"Wait up."<p>

"Yes?" said Arianna.

The sorceress replied"If I go with you, will I find a library where I can study a bit while I am here? I'm not asking to join your party, I must add."

"That's not a good idea if you're not allowed to interfere much" frowned Trent.

"I must find as much information as possible so that I can tell King Zenith about the rift between dimsensions. I actually have a spell which can be deadly to monsters, not that I will actually fight alongside you" said the sorceress.

"Okay, you can tag along with us to Bloomingdale. I know you have your reasons" said Arianna.

The group stopped a short distance from the castle town, Arianna spoke"Hold hands everyone, I am teleporting us to Dourbridge. We'll head southwest from there to Bloomingdale."

They held hands as Arianna instructed, then the Celestrian cast Zoom. Instantly, they came to Dourbridge.

"Okay, you lead the way Arianna" said Ashlynn.

The group walked southwest from Dourbridge's east exit. The trip was uneventful, save for an encounter with some Slime Knights. Arianna, Trent and Sasha fought them off, then the group continued on until they came to another port town.

Arianna spoke with Ashlynn"We escorted you this far, I have my own business in Bloomingdale."

"Let me come with you a little farther" insisted the Sorceress.

"Very well" said the Celestrian.

Bloomingdale consisted of not only houses, but a garden of flowers here and there. The air was pure in the flowers' fragrence. Raymond breathed"It's beautiful."

"I'll bet" said Alicia.

"I must go to the manor to ask where I can look at some books. Arianna, would you mind taking me back to the inn after I explore the town some?" inquired Ashlynn.

"I will" said the Celestrian.

The group walked on, talking to the townspeople until they came to a harbor with a ship docked.

"This might be just what we need for sailing the seas" said Trent.

An old man approached"Hey, you folks interested in that ship? It's never been used in a long time. If you want it, go ask Madame Marion Bloome at her manor."

"We will" said Arianna.

The six went to a large mansion at the center of town, Trent guessed that was what the old man talked about. Alicia spoke"What do you think this Marion Bloome is like?"

"No idea" sighed Trent.

They entered the manor, where they met with one of the servants who directed them upstairs. A group of people were in one of the rooms having an audience with a blond woman in a red dress.

When they aporached and the woman saw them, she spoke"Oh, hello, how can I help?"

"Marion Bloome, right? I am Arianna, my companions and I want to borrow the ship docked at the pier" said the Celestrian.

Marion Bloome shrugged"Well, I see why not. But wait, are you one of 'them'?"

Arianna sensed something was wrong, then said"Do I look like a Celestrian to you? If it is what you're asking, I must say yes."

That blond woman seemed to explode in anger"Hmph! I don't trust you and I withhold my promise to lend you the ship. Now leave me alone!"

Shocked, the six heroes and the other people holding an audience left the manor.

One of the men scowled"What did you do to anger Marion Bloome? Now she won't want to help anyone."

"What can we do?" frowned Trent.

Another older man replied"Why don't you go see Randolph? He made her a doll when she was little. Maybe he can help you talk to her."

Following the man's advice, the six went to another house southwest of Marion Bloome's manor. There, another old man spoke to them"Yes?"

"Randolph, right? We need your help, Marion Bloome seems to be in a mood right now" explained Arianna.

The man sighed"Very well, I'll come with you."

They returned to the manor within the next couple minutes, only to be met with a shock at Marion's room upstairs.

Trent saw a note and read it"huh? Looks like she was kidnapped."

"That's horrible" said Randolph.

Arianna spoke to the dollmaker"My friends and I will handle this." Randolph nodded, and left the house. The group examined the note when Ashlynn joined them.

"Arianna, I saw what happened just a couple minutes ago. Marion was kidnapped by bandits from a cave up north, at least I heard that's what you said when I heard you read the note. I was there, but I didn't cast spells to save her because I could not risk wrecking the house."

The Celestrian sighed"The thieves are demanding randsom and call themselves members of the F.I.C.K.O. We must save her, or we won't get to borrow the ship."

The group rushed out to the town's outskirts. Arianna spoke"Did you find what you were looking for, Ashlynn?"

The Sorceress shook her head"Actually, I kind of lied. I was bored, that's all. I know I can't interfere too much, but I want to teach F.I.C.K.O a lesson. The Prince of Somnia, a friend from my home dimension, would have done the same, you kinda remind me of him, Arianna."

"Okay, but let's not brazenly storm the cave. We need to asess the situation" said the Celestrian.

The group turned their attention north, and walked to the cave.

* * *

><p>Cliffhanger time, I hope this dosen't annoy anyone too much. I will pick up where I left off next time. I apologize if the paragraphs aren't long enough, I'm just trying to type this fic so that it's easy to read.<p>

By the way, I owe a few explanations. To those not in the know, the Special Guest characters in DQIX aren't playable. I just thought to give them a bigger role then they had in the game. Ashlynn will be in the next chapter, but that will be it for her.

If I am rushing, sorry. The Bloomingdale Arc in DQIX was the most tragic side story in my opinion. After Ashlynn, using anymore guest characters might be a bit awkward. As for the parts I made up about the special guest characters, there was no actual explanation on how characters from previous DQ games appear in Sentinels of the Starry Skies besides the Download option or whatever that was. I had not played DQIX in a while.

Please feel free to review.


	14. The Tragedy of Marion Bloome

Well, another chapter is up and running. Thanks u.k Owen for reviewing the previous chapter. Okay, this is gonna get a little sad, but here goes nothing. I might be going a bit out of order in the events of the Bloomingdale arc, but oh well.

Here is a refresher, thoughts are ', " indicates dialogue, and - represents change in character point of view and/or lapse in time.

Disclaimer: DQIX and it's locations, characters, etc are all Square Enix's work.

* * *

><p>Chapter XIII: The Tragedy of Marion Bloome<p>

The trip from Bloomingdale was filled with silence for the most part as the heroes and their guest headed on to the Bad Caves, where the supposed members of F.I.C.K.O awaited with their captive, Marion Bloome. Arianna's mind was in a formative state as she thought'There sure is something suspicious going on about Marion, but that will have to wait until we save her from the kidnappers'.

Trent addressed Conrad"Hey, remember what Buster of the B-Team said about there being a monster at the Bad Caves that took a mystery item called Tycoon's Trove? We might be able to get it while we're here."

The thief thought for a moment"Hm, you might be right about it, Trent. But we can't just scream into Bad Caves like a banshee, we don't know what we're dealing with. Maybe in our freetime we can retrieve the treasure."

"F.I.C.K.O, whatever that bandit group is, likely made that cave their quarters. It will likely not be as simple as to simply go spulunking like we could in Tywll cave, but I think I have a plan" said Arianna.

The group moved on until they came to a cave with not one, but two entrances. The entrance to the right entrance was blocked, so Arianna and her group went left.

The cave's interior was a muddy brown, with a puddle of water here and there. The purple haired warrior turned to her comrades"This looks like a dreary place, so here's the plan: Conrad, you, Raymond and Sasha will team up to hunt down the Hunter Mech. Ashlynn, as discourteous as this sounds, would you mind helping out a bit?"

"You don't have to ask, Arianna. You're a good hostess, but you don't have to worry about coddling me. Give 'em heck" smiled the red haired sorceresss.

Conrad shrugged"Don't know much about F.I.C.K.O, but I am unsure if trusting them is wise. Okay, how will we go about hunting the Hunter Mech? The thieves likely would've locked the doors ahead."

Arianna replied"Simple, the rest of us will negociate with F.I.C.K.O, rescue Miss Bloome, hopefully making a distraction in the process. Obviously, Trent, Aisha and I will form the rescue team. Conrad, you may need to use stealth to hunt the Hunter Mech without possbly being seen by F.I.C.K.O."

As Conrad, Sasha, Raymond and Ashlynn went to hide in the shadows of the cave, the spirit of a woman with blond hair and red dress appeared.

"Huh?" Arianna gasped.

The woman spoke"You're a Celestrian, aren't you? My name was Marion Bloome."

"You've gotta be kidding! If you're Miss Bloome, who the heck was the other girl?" said Trent, who was listening nearby.

Marion replied"I am sorry, but please allow me to explain. No one knows but myself, but the Marion Bloome you saw is in fact a doll called Marionette. She was the only friend I had since I was bedridden with illness."

Arianna was shocked"So if you're dead, and that girl was your doll, what happpened to you?"

The ghost responded"I was greatly ill, but one day I recieved a shining yellow fruit. I had wished to have a friend, one who would stay by my side. I was dying, but when I made my wish, the fruit disappeared and Marionette came to life."

"What happened after you died?" inquired Alicia.

"My body is buried in the yard outside my chamber, Marionette took my place as Marion Bloome. But I can see that this ruse has gone on long enough, please tell Marionette that she must now cease to live, I'll be with her. Arianna, right? I am counting on you" said the spirit, vanishing.

"So the Marion Bloome we met was really an animated living doll. That fruit the real Marion described must be one of the sacred fruits, so now we simply must find Marionette and talk to her about what we learned and all" frowned Alicia.

"But F.I.C.K.O dosen't know that, we'll just go along with their ransom demand untill we can talk to Marionette about the fruit. Silly thieves, the letter said they were expecting her father. One way or another, we'll confront them" said the purple haired warrior.

Arianna's group proceeded to the inner quarters where the men who took Marionette waited. Conrad, Raymond, Sasha and Ashlynn began snooping through the caverns after Conrad picked the lock of the nearby door.

Conrad looked around"Looks like there is nothing there."

"Don't bet on it, monsters may be waiting in ambush. But let's just hurry, we can't keep the others waiting when they save Marion" replied the Martial Artist.

* * *

><p>Trent, Arianna and Alicia walked on until they met with a man in nothing but trousers.<p>

"Hey, did you come to pay the ransom?" inquired the man.

Arianna replied"That's what I'm here to discuss, were you expecting someone else?"

The man shrugged"Er, yeah, but this may work out. Follow me".

The man led Arianna, Alicia and Trent to a nearby small room with a table. The Priestess addressed him as they sat down"You are part of F.I.C.K.O, right? So if we make an exchange, will you let Marion go?"

"Hm? Yeah, I am part of F.I.C.K.O, but that's not the point. The note my partner and I left demanded a thousand gold from the girl's father" said the man.

Trent sighed"You have one thing comeing, you're a fool to think we'd cough up the gold. Besides, we have not seen Marion Bloome's father, so why don't you just release her already before we get mad and speed you to the afterlife?"

The kidnapper sighed"Let's not be too hasty, boy. Now, if you would be so kind as to give us the gold, we will let her go."

At that moment, another man entered"Hey, the girl's escaped. What's more, there are monsters on the loose!"

"What? How'd she get out of her cell?" exclaimed the man.

Trent slowly drew his sword"Not you're lucking day, huh? It's out of your hands, now. Arianna, what's the plan now?"

As the two inept thieves left the room, the purple haired warrior replied"We can't wait for the others, we have to find Marionette. If there really are monsters, we must hurry, let's move."

The three got up and filed out of the room.

* * *

><p>In another part of the Bad Cave, Conrad and his group marched on until they encountered some bird-like Weakon Beacons and some hooded demons called Shamen.<p>

"Bring it on" said Sasha, taking a battle stance.

Conrad and Sasha battled the Weakon Baeacons, while Ashlynn fried the Shamen with a Boom spell. It didn't take long before the monsters fell.

"That was too easy" remarked Conrad.

The three moved on until they encountered a Riptide. Conrad and Sasha dueled the monster, which swung it's blade mercilessly. Ashlynn kept out of it as best she could, until the Riptide swirved around it's oppenents and attempted to stab her.

"Big mistake" said Ashlynn, brandishing a whip and yanking the sword out of the monster's hand with it. Conrad took the opprotunity to stab Riptide in the back.

"Never a dull moment with these monsters" remarked the sorceress.

* * *

><p>Arianna, Trent and Alicia rushed to the very back of the Bad Cave, where they found Marionette. The doll was standing in front of a red, black, orange and gray creature with deadly fangs, and heedless of danger, spoke"Oh? Who are you?"<p>

The monster responded by lunging at the living doll. Marionette was struck and fell unconcious to the floor.

Alicia was astonished"It can't be."

"What?" said her brother.

The Priestess replied"That spider is a Tyrantula, a legendary monster that has gathered so much poison and such that it became a man-eater. I read that it preys on unsuspecting travelers, and feeds them to it's babies. It may not look like much, but Tyrantula could be a difficult opponent."

"Hey! Egghead!" Trent threw a nearby rock at the spider.

Annoyed at being interrupted, Tyrantula dodged and spewed poison at the heroes. Alicia cast Sqelch, while Trent swung at the spider with his sword. Tyrantula bit the Gladiator, while Arianna thrust at it's eyes with her weapon. The spider dodged and spewed more poison, which Alicia countered with another Squelch spell.

"You weren't kidding, sis" said Trent, aiming a kick at Tyrantula.

"Keep that spider off my back while I check on Marionette" said Alicia, rushing to the doll's prone form.

* * *

><p>Conrad and his group trudged on towards the back of the caverns until they came to a grayish monster with a sword and bow in it's hand. A Shaman and a Riptide accompanied it.<p>

"Looks like I found my quarry" said the Thief.

I'll keep the Shaman and Riptide off your back" said the Martial Artist.

Hunter Mech fired an arrow at the Martial Artist, who jumped over and slammed it with her battle stave. Conrad spotted a glowing item in it's possesion and snatched it.

"What did you get?" Raymond asked as he cast Boom on the monsters.

"The Tycoon's Trove, now let's wrap this up" said the Thief.

Sasha blocked the Riptides attacks and it slashed at her. Eventually the Martial Artist put it in it's place with a Knuckle-Sandwhich. Conrad stabbed the enemy Shaman, while Ashlynn and Raymond faced the Hunter Mech. The Mech slashed at the two mages, which they dodged.

"I've had enough, MAGIC BURST!"

The blast destroyed the Hunter Mech and blew a hole in the wall. Raymond was astonished"How'd you do that?"

The red haired sorceress shrugged"Magic Burst is a potent technique that deals heavy damage to monsters. I learned it back in Sorceria, but look, over there!"

"What are Arianna's group fighting against?" gasped Raymond, seeing a mutated spider and the rest of their teammates.

"We have to get in there" said Sasha.

* * *

><p>Arianna healed her allies, while Trent kept on his toes trying to slay the Tyrantula. But the spider was nearly too quick, the two were getting exhausted.<p>

"Ka-Crack!" Raymond had suddenly intervened with a ice spell. Annoyed, Tyrantula turned to see Conrad's group enter the fray and spewed more poison.

Arianna healed her teammates, while Conrad rushed at the spider monster with his battle dagger. Tyrantula dodged, when suddenly it met with the full force of a slam attack by Sasha's battle stave. The Tyrantula's shell took most of the blow, as it spat a web at her. Trent took advantage of the distraction to deliver the final blow with his sword. The vanquished spider collapsed into the dust.

"Finally got that bug out" shrugged the Gladiator.

"Tell me about it" said Sasha, removing the webbing from her body.

Nearby, Marionette began to stir as the two bandits entered the room.

"Cricky! It's a ghost!" gasped one of the men.

The two so-called F.I.C.K.O members ran for it, just as the living doll stood up onto her feet. Alicia addressed her"Are you okay?"

The girl nodded"Yeah, thanks, but why are you here?"

Just then, the real Marion Bloome's spirit appeared"Marionette, I think it's about time you returned to being a doll."

"Huh?" said Marionette.

Marion replied"I am sorry, you came to life on my account, I am responsible for your suffering. I was so sick, that I wished for a friend. In fact, nobody but myself and you knew I succombed to the sickness, but you were taken advantage of before Arianna showed up."

The living doll sighed"You're right."

She then turned to Arianna"I thank you again for saving me, and I am sorry for taking my friend's death out on you. I will go back to Bloomingdale and inform everyone that I will be going on a trip, the ship: The Pride of Bloomingdale, is yours."

Marionette fled the cavern while Marion spoke to Arianna before leaving"Thank you for everything."

* * *

><p>The six heroes and their guest left the cave and returned to Bloomingdale. Alicia sighed"I feel so bad for Marion's death, should we tell the people about it?"<p>

"Its too far-fetched for anyone to believe us if we told them about Marionette. I have a hunch they'll figure it out, at least partly anyway if Marion dosen't come back to Bloomingdale for long enough. Now, let's go back to the mansion one more time" said the violet haired warrior.

The group entered the mansion, entered Marion's room and went through a door to come to the grave. There they found Marionette, who had reverted into a lifeless doll. In front of her was another yellow fruit with a green top on it. Arianna retrieved the fruit and murmered"Rest in peace, Marion Bloome."

Arianna and her group zoomed back to Stornway, just as an old woman spotted the doll"Hm? What are you doing here?"

The woman took the doll back into Marion's room and put it onto the bed.

* * *

><p>Back at Stornway, Ashlynn addressed the team"I had a lot of fun, Arianna. Sure if was dangerous, but I am glad I could help."<p>

Arianna smiled"Same to you, Ashlynn. Will you be going back to your world, now?"

"No, I might hang around Stornway a bit longer, I will eventually fade back to King Zenith's castle anyway. Maybe I can contact my friends in that world's real world and continue to investigate the dimensional rifts caused by the Rapportals" said the sorceress.

"Good luck with that" said Trent.

Ashlynn smiled"Thank you, everyone. Oh, and here's a little tip from me."

Arianna was surprised"I can't take your money just like that!"

The sorceress shook her head as she handed some coins over"It's okay, besides you're helping with the inn, right? So what are you going to do now?"

"My friends and I are on an important mission, we still have three more fyggs to find. Ashlynn, sorry I got you too involved in it" said Arianna.

"It's okay, I will pray to the Almighty for your success" said Ashlynn.

Arianna and her group bade farewell to Ashlynn before zooming to Dourbridge. As they got to the pub there, Buster greeted them"Hey, how did it go?"

Conrad handed the Trove to the noble thief, who whistled as he recieved the treasure"Not bad, guy. Consider yourself a part of the B-Team, don't forget that we're buddies, now."

"Thanks, Buster" said the male brunette.

Arianna and her group zoomed once more to Bloomingdale and went to the inn for the night. "It's been a long day, tomorrow it's off to sea, right?" said Raymond.

The Priestess nodded"Now that we have Marion's, or Marionette's, permission, we have access to the Pride of Bloomingdale. Hm, it's going to be our first time sailing the ocean, I bet it will be pretty."

Arianna rearranged her things as he responded"The next major town on the map is Gleeba, right? The desert's going to be hot, so we should buy some cooler outfits before sailing off. Don't ask me anything else, I know about it because Gleeba is labled on the map as a desert kingdom."

"I heard about it from my father, so I am not surprised" said Sasha.

The heroes went to bed and went to sleep. Raymond snuck a kiss to Alicia. The Priestess kissed back.

"Heh, lovebirds" whispered Conrad from his bed.

Arianna shook her head as she got into her bed"Good night, everyone."

Alicia and Raymond had squeezed onto the same bed as they made love before relaxing. Alicia pulled away"No, we shouldn't do that now."

"Why not?" whispered the mage.

"Never mind. Let's just keep our lips to ourselves, I know you love me, but now wasn't really the best time. I'm not exactly in the mood anyway" sighed Alicia.

Raymond flushed as they went to sleep.

* * *

><p>Another chapter is up and ready. Bloomingdale probably had one of the most tragic side stories in my opinion. Hm, I tried to make the paragraphs even longer, but I guess I'm not really that good at it. I must apologize if I wasn't too accurate with Bloomingdale's events in this chapter and the previous one.<p>

Again, I might have to change one of the genres, because the next few chapters won't have much fluff in them. Oh, and I made up a bit about the Bloomingdale arc, because even post game it seems that none of the NPCs in Bloomingdale realize the true fate of Marion Bloome. I know that part of the game was a bit sad, but I don't know what to say.

Please feel free to review.


	15. The Desert Kingdom of Gleeba

Okay, another chapter coming right up. Thanks again for reviews, and thanks Tim100 and Dashing Blazze for adding this fic to favorites. As a refresher, " means spoken word, ' are thoughts, and _ indicates a lapse in time or change in character point-of-view.

Disclaimer: I do not claim responsibility for the development of DQIX, that was Squaresoft's work. I only own my OCs and their pasts.

* * *

><p>Chapter XIV: The Desert Kingdom of Gleeba<p>

Arianna and her team woke the following morning to go to the docks where the Pride of Bloomingdale is docked after shopping for some cooler clothes for the trip to Gleeba. Though they had retrieved the fourth Fygg on their quest and learned of Marion Bloome's death, Arianna had elected not to tell Randolph or any of the other Villagers of Bloomingdale the truth about Marion and Marionette, but figured that they might eventually get suspicious if Marion didn't return for a long time.

"Well, looks like we're going out to sea" said Alicia with a smile.

"I'm looking forward to it myself" breathed Conrad.

The old man by the docks addressed Arianna"Hey there, Miss Bloome gave you six permission to use the Pride of Bloomingdale, right? Good luck on your voyage."

The violet haired Celetrian thanked the man, and led her group to the deck of the ship. The vessel was an impressive sight, for it had been kept shipshape and clean, despite not having been used for some time. The sails were a brilliant white, and the deck was a light brown. To the group's right was a door, which Arianna presumed led inside the cabin. A set of stairs in the center led below the deck.

"I can see the ocean from here, it's so beautiful" breathed Alicia.

"You've never really seen the sea, either? It sure was pretty, I'll admit that. Now, Gleeba is somewhere west of our current position, right?" inquired the Celestrian.

Sasha nodded"Yes, though it might take a while to get there. Also, lately the ocean has been somewhat treacherous from what I have been hearing about it. Formerly docile creatures are turning hostile, I suspect that perchance the quake has affected more things then we'd originally expect."

Arianna shrugged, then addressed her team"All right, then, let's get ready to ship on out. Conrad, we'll need someone to keep an eye on our surroundings on our voyage, you can handle that, right? Trent, there should be a way to steer the ship as we set sail. Raymond, you and Sasha know how to get this ship working?"

The Martial Artist replied"I've never traveled by water before, but my father did tell me a few things about ships. That wheel-like device near the bow is called the Helm, which is used to pilot large vessels like this one. The Anchor is used to hold the ship in place after docking at certain destinations. Naturally the wind blows right into the sails, affecting the speed of the ship, depending which direction we're facing and which way the wind blows."

The group looked around the ship a bit more, until Raymond spotted a rope dangling off the front-right side of the ship and said"The Anchor's there, we just need to pull it up to get the ship going, right?"

"Not without someone at the helm, we shouldn't. Trent, take the wheel, I'll help with the navigating" said Arianna.

The blond Gladiator walked to the helm and inspected it"Well, I've never steered a ship before, but it dosen't look tough to steer. Sasha, Conrad, Raymond, can you handle the Anchor so I can get us moving?"

"No problem" grinned the male brunette, as the three went over to the dangling rope and worked together to pull up the rope with the anchor attatched.

"All set?" inquired Trent.

Arianna nodded"Let's sail north-westward to Gleeba. Trent, we should use Sasha's map to identify certain landmarks so that we know we're heading the right way."

The group slowly shoved off from the coast of Bloomingdale to the vast, open sea. The ocean itself stretched in all directions, as Arianna and her team sailed the Pride of Bloomingdale away from the town. Trent sighed as he steered the ship"Man, this view is even better then the one we got back at Slurry Quay, Arianna."

"You think so? Yeah, it certainly is a nice view of the ocean. Traveling by sea is new to me, but I must say that blue is my favorite color" murmered the Celestrian.

The Gladiator flushed"Really? I kinda like green, and my sister likes all colors to an extent."

"Hey, you're not making a move, are you?" smirked Conrad, who was monitoring the starbard deck.

"Oh, be quiet. Sheesh! Why do you guys get the wrong idea?" sighed the Gladiator.

Arianna interjected"Would you boys knock it off? If I have time to think about love right now, I have time to concentrate on my duty. Don't get me wrong, I think of you guys as my friends, but I think some of you get the wrong idea".

"Denial" muttered Conrad, earning himself a disapproving thump from Sasha, who was studying the map and glancing around for possible landmarks.

The voyage lasted for another three hours before the group arrived vessel at a desert island. The very shore and most of the rest was yellow, the only sign of life is what looked like a castle town in the very center. Trent was taken aback"Gleeba's just ahead, right? What exactly is the name of this island?"

Sasha replied as she studied the map a little more before rolling it up and putting it in her bag"It's commonly known as the Djust Desert Island. My father told me that the previous monarch of Gleeba, King Aqeus built an expensive aqueduct to supply water to Gleeba. I'm not so sure about his daughter, who was just a kid at the time. It's very warm at Gleeba, we should change our clothes."

Alicia nodded, then said"Trent, you boys will need to change out here while Arianna, Sasha and I go put on our other outfits in the cabin. Arianna, do you have the outfits you bought at Bloomingdale?"

"Of course" the Celestrian pulled out six sets of summer clothes from her bag and distributed five to her allies. The clothes in question were shorts and leather T-shirts.

As the girls went to the cabin, Sasha turned to the male members of their party"No peeking, guys, or else. I'm looking in your direction, Conrad."

Conrad grumbled a bit as the three men doffed their armor and started changing"Man, I wasn't even planning on invading their privacy."

"We don't want to send the wrong idea, girls can get a little scary when mad." said Raymond, pulling on his cooler shirt.

Before you can say Pride of Bloomingdale (actually it took a bit longer), Arianna and the other two female members came back out in the rest of the outfits that the Celestrian bought. Trent glanced at the purple haired Warrior"Wow, you look great in that."

Arianna strugged to keep from blushing"You think so? I'm unaccustomed to not wearing my Celestrian attire. But anyway, we should take our weapons along, just to be safe. The rest of the discarded outfits we store in the bags until we get back."

The group disembarked and marched on to Gleeba. They marched northward through the hot desert until they ran into a gold golem.

"Our first encounter, eh?" said Conrad.

Raymond burned the golem with Frizze, melting it slightly. The golem charged, only to be intercepted by Sasha's multi-punch. The monster stumbled back just before Arianna hacked it with her sword. The Gold Golem crumbled into dust. Trent addressed his teammates"Everyone all right?"

"Yeah, let's head on until we reach Gleeba" said Arianna.

The rest of the trip to the town was uneventful, no other monsters attacked. When they got to Gleeba, they saw that the town was roughly similar in color to the desert. One of the people at the entrance approached the six"Hello, welcome to Gleeba."

Trent addressed the citizen"Hey, my friends and I are looking for a yellow fruit with a green top. Have you seen anything like that?"

The townsperson replied"No, but you could ask Queen Voluptua about it. Thing is, she's a tempermental ruler, and somewhat selfish. The defense force recieved no investments from Queen Voluptua, and she's spent almost all of the taxes we've given her to build a private bath, or so I heard."

"Regardless, we wish to speak to her" said Sasha.

The townsperson responded"The Mirage Mihal Palace is up ahead, you can go there if you'd like. But I doubt she would want to meet with anyone."

Arianna and her group moved from the town entrance, unsure on how to approach the queen. Trent sighed"Sounds like they have a tyrant problem, I wonder."

"Don't say that, there might be a reason for her to act like what we've heard, but it's really none of our business" responded the Priestess.

The Celestrian shook her head a bit, deep in thought'From what Sasha said, the king was probably a benevolent ruler. If this queen is really that bad, surely there must have been some trauma or something in her past'.

"Let's do some shopping and meet up at the palace" said Alicia.

"Agreed" said the Celestrian.

The group spent another hour shopping for whatever they can afford before going to the palace.

The Mahal Mirage palace was a tall yellowish building, a short distance from the main town. The roof was a spectaculer dome, and the outside of the palace grounds was lightly guarded. Alicia was apalled"Stornway had better security then this. Does this Queen Voluptua care nothing at all about her kingdom, or even her safety?"

"Let's just go in and request an audience from her" said Arianna.

The inside of Mahal Mirage Palace was a magnificent sight as the heroes stepped into the entrance hall of the palace. The walls were around the same color as the outside"Now that's not very colorful" sighed Conrad. Sasha shrugged, not expecting much from a kingdom created mostly from sand"Okay, now what?"

Arianna addressed a nearby guard"Excuse me, could you direct us to the throne room? We'd like to see your queen."

The guard shifted uncomfortably as she replied"She's very occupied in the bath up ahead. But if you have business here, go to the throne room upstairs. Take the stairs at the center of the main hall up ahead."

Arianna and her group followed the guard's instructions as they headed through the palace. Trent had a feeling that things won't go as smoothly as he'd like. Conrad addressed Sasha"How did you know about the Gleeba Royal Family, anyway?"

"My father and I visited Mirage Mahal once, did I not tell you that?" replied Sasha.

The group ascended a set of staircases, which led them to a large chamber with blue carpeting in the middle, the throne stood vacantly at the back. A middle-aged man was pacing in front of the throne, as though he were troubled by something. Arianna addressed the man"Excuse me, my comrades and I are here for an audience with Queen Voluptua."

The man stopped his pacing to address the newcomers"Hm? Oh, did you need to talk to the queen about something? She's been spending much time in her private bath downstairs. What's more, her majesty's pet lizard, his Dryness Drak, went missing not to long ago. Queen Voluptua's handmaiden, Misslei, was distressed. If she dosen't find his Dryness, the queen will be very upset."

"Oh, that can't be good. Want us to lend a hand?" said Trent.

The older man replied"I appreciate it, and I think her majesty would, too. Misslei is on the balcony just outside the door over there."

Arianna nodded, then went with her group to Mirage Mahal's terrace. On the balcony was a woman with dark purplish hair, standing with her back turned to them. Arianna addressed the woman"Are you the queen's handmaiden?"

The woman was surprised as she turned to address the Celestrian"Hm? Oh, hello, I'm Misslei, one of the queen's attendants. You see, I was put in charge of the queen's pet lizard, who ran away. If I don't find his Dryness, I fear the queen will let me have it."

Trent spoke up"My name is Trent, my partner's name is Arianna. We're helping right now to find the queen's pet."

"Oh, thank you. I think Drak is outside, hiding in the shadows of the walls of this palace. Please, if you find Drak, show him to the chancellor, I should like to think that the queen would be grateful. That is if she isn't in one of her moods, Drak is yellowish, reptile-like with a bow on it's head" said Misslei.

Trent and his group spent the next hour looking for Drak, when they returned to the castle grounds. Sasha glanced at the shadows to the left of Mirage Mahal's entrance, where she spotted a hole"You wait here, guys. I won't have much trouble locating Drak."

"I can help" interjected Conrad. Sasha nodded.

The two brunette members of Arianna's party walked on westward to that side of the grounds, until Conrad spotted a hole near the entrance. Sasha shrugged"Leave it to me, Drak might be hiding here."

Conrad nodded, then Sasha stepped forward towards the hole, and lightly clapped at it. In response, a yellow lizard with a small pink bow around it's head emerged, the Martial Artist immediately took it tendarly. Conrad was astonished"How'd you know what to do?"

"Not too hard, this little guy was definately trained, but I imagine that Misslei wasn't looking when he ran away from her. Besides, how else do you get it's attention without going too rough?" said Sasha.

Arianna, Trent, Conrad, Sasha, Alicia and Raymond took the lizard, Drak back to the throne room and showed it to the man, who is the chancellor of Gleeba. The chancellor smiled"Oh, you found his Dryness? I shall have someone let her majesty know he's been found."

A few minutes later, Misslei had joined them in the throne room with a dark haired woman somewhere in her mid to late twenties with a dark brown complexion and regal white clothes. Sasha assumed who she might be, but she'd only visited Gleeba once before with her father while the High Drator, Aqeus was governing Gleeba.

When Drak was handed to the woman, she nodded, then said"So, Misslei, you were very careless."

"Um, I'm sorry, your majesty" said Misslei.

The queen of Gleeba's eyes narrowed as she coldly addressed her handmaid after hearing what happened"How could you lose sight of my Dracky-woo like that? You irresponsible fool, get out! You are fired!"

"F-forgive me, Queen Voluptua" stammered Misslei.

"Just get out of here!" snapped the queen.

Misslei was ashamed of her failare, but left without shedding a tear. Sasha was taken aback at the queen's words towards the handmaid'She's very different from the previous monarch, I wonder what's happened'.

The Queen of Gleeba addressed Arianna's group"What do you want with me?"

Arianna replied respectfully"We came here in search of a yellow fruit with a green top, have you seen one?"

"This?" Queen Voluptua pulled a fruit out of her pocket.

"Yes, your majesty" said Arianna.

"You think I should just give it to you? It fell right into my realm, and one of the servants brought it" inquired the older woman, raising her eye.

"Unfortunately, yes. I really need it." said the Celestrian.

Voluptua merely pocketed the Fygg, then turned and left the room with Drak to the bath chamber downstairs. Trent scowled"That son of a-"

"Don't swear, we can still get the fruit. The bath chamber could be a problem because she would likely have a guard stationed there" said Arianna.

"So how do we go about it? Better yet, how will we get that selfish hag to relinquish the Fygg?" demanded Conrad.

"K-keep your voice down, someone else may hear you" interjected the chancellor.

"Sorry" sighed the Thief.

The Celestrian addressed the older man"Do you know any other way into that bath chamber besides the door?"

The Chancellor replied"No, but may I suggest that you visit the terrace?"

"Worth a try" sighed the Martial Artist.

As Arianna and her group went back outside, the chancellor stood near the throne as he thought'To think Voluptua would turn out like this. I wish her father were still here to have harsh words with her.'

* * *

><p>On the terrace, the six looked around, talking to some of the people there. Trent addressed the violet-haied Celestrian"So how would we go about getting the Fygg? Stealing from Royalty is a serious offense, even I know that much."<p>

"We'll figure it out, I'd rather not have to resort to brute force, myself" said Arianna.

The six kept on looking, until they ran into an old man standing over what looked like a hole in the roof. Trent addressed him"Hey, does that lead into the bath chamber?"

"Hm? Oh yes. In fact, water pours from here into that chamber, which is about a half dozen feet below here" said the man.

"Interesting, I think I can get in there. Not to brag about my own luck or anything, but once I fell from a high waterfall and didn't suffer so much as a scratch" said the Celestrian.

"Really? That's quite a feat" whistled the old man.

"So what's the plan?" said Sasha.

Arianna replied"Mum's the word on this, I'm going to have to get my hands dirty if needed. You boys lay low near the bath chamber entrance. Sasha, Alicia and I are going to try to talk Queen Voluptua into relinquishing the Fygg, if something has not already been done to it. I don't wish to do anything drastic, but if the need arises, I'll have to rely on aggressive negotiations."

"Humor, Arianna?" smirked Conrad.

"If that passes for humor where you come from, Conrad, I'll have to question your tastes" said Sasha.

"Regardless, the last thing we'd want is to spark a war between Stornway and Gleeba, considering Trent's and my dad's legacy as a famed knight in our home country" sighed Alicia.

"I'm going" said Trent, marching to the makeshift waterfall which fell down the hole.

"Wait, let her fellow women try this first" said Alicia, holding her brother back.

Arianna shrugged, then said"Let's go."

While the three female members of their party jumped into the hole, Trent, Conrad and Raymond rushed back to the first floor of Mirage Mahal.

* * *

><p>Inside the bath chamber, Queen Voluptua and her attendants were relaxing in the water, just north of the door to the bath chamber. The Queen had sliced the yellow fruit into bits and lay them about the water, she didn't count one what was about to occur within moments.<p>

The women, except for the queen, let out a shriek as they heard someone splash into the water, nearby. Queen Voluptua glared at the newcomer, who happened to be Arianna"What is the meaning of this? How'd you even get in here?"

The violet-haired warrior addressed Voluptua"I really would've preferred that it didn't come to this, your majesty. For whatever reason are you obsessed with that fruit? It may be difficult to explain, but I don't think you understand or know about it's true nature."

"Such insolence, what nonsense are you on about? If this answers your question, I thought it'd enhance my own beauty. But frankly, I don't believe you should even be here" said the queen.

"What made you like this? The last time my father and I visited, I-".

Sasha's words were cut off as Queen Voluptua snapped"This isn't any of your business, now get out before I call the guards!"

Drak, who was swimming next to the queen, focused it's eyes on one of the fruit pieces in the water. Queen Voluptua addressed her pet"Dracky-Woo, were you scared?"

Before everyone's eyes, the lizard seemed to inhale the fruit, causing the other fragments of the Fygg to vanish. Without warning, Drak began to glow and magically grow larger.

"You've got to be kidding" groaned the blond Priestess.

Drak transformed into a monstrous gold dragon-like creature, snatched the dark haired queen and vanished into a nearby well. Alicia was astonished"That was wierd."

Nearby, the door opened, and Trent, Conrad, Sasha and Misslei entered the chamber. Trent's eyes widened"Where's Queen Voluptua?"

"She's been kidnapped" said Sasha.

"That's awful" said Misslei.

"How'd you guys get in?" inquired Arianna.

Conrad shrugged"I paid the guard a small bribe just as the woman who Voluptua fired caught up. She helped us get in."

"Stay back, Misslei, we'll take care of this" said Trent.

The six heroes ran to the nearby well and jumped down before anyone could object.

* * *

><p>Arianna, Trent, Conrad, Sasha, Raymond and Alicia came across a damp cavern beneath Mirage Mahal, Conrad sighed"Why are we risking our lives for someone like her? Surely, she had it coming."<p>

"She can't redeem herself if we don't save her. But regardless, I somehow don't think Drak's new form would do anything drastic to the queen" said Arianna.

The group were surprised at how deep the depths led then as they traveled. In one room, they came across a mummy monster. Trent sighed"This shouldn't be too hard." The monster spewed poison, which Alicia cured with Squelch. Raymond burnt the monster to a crisp with Sizze.

In a square chamber in the second part of the depths, Arianna encountered the ghost of a man in regal robes. The ghost spoke to the Celestrian"Ah, and you are?"

"I'm Arianna, sir" said the Celestrian.

The man spoke"Oh, you can see me, huh? Well, hear me out, in life I was the High Drator, Aqeus."

Arianna was surprised"So you're Queen Voluptua's father?"

The man nodded"While I was alive, I built my kingdom's water source with this aqueduct. But regrettably, I was never there for my daughter. As a result, she did not know how to love others, Voluptua became very bitter as a result of my neglect. But be that as it may, please, you must save her."

Arianna nodded"We'll do what we can."

The six delved further into the Plumbed Depths, taking on several Ghouls and Diethons.

"Bang!" Raymond's spell struck down the Ghouls. The Diethons tried to bit at the heroes before being hacked down by Trent and Arianna.

Soon the group came to a large chamber, where they heard the queen's voice calling out. Trent drew his sword"They're not far, now."

"Let's teach Drak some manners" said Raymond.

The six hurried aroumd the corridor to find the Fygg-altered form of Drak: now the dragon, Grand Lizzier, who was standing over Queen Voluptua, who addressed Arianna"You, what took you so long?"

Sasha dragged the queen away from the transformed lizard, which turned to address Arianna"Ah, couldn't you have left us alone?"

"So it really is you, why did you eat the fygg?" said Arianna.

The Grand Lizzier snarled"I only desired to become a mortal, which I accomplished. Now Voluptua and I can really be together."

"You wanted to be human? Better go check a mirror, lizard-lips" jeered Raymond.

"I challenge you, you think you're worthy of the fygg's power?" snarled Grand Lizzier.

"KA-CRACK!" The mage's spell hit the monster, dead-on. Grand Lizzier countered by belching a flame at the group. Trent absorbed most of it with his shield, while Arianna charged. The Grand Lizzier knocked the Celestrian back with a swipe of it's enlarged claws, then belched another flame at the group. Conrad picked up a pebble and hurled it at the Grand Lizzier's eye, which it knocked from the air with it's claw.

"Multi-Fist!" Sasha launched a flurry of punches to the Grand Lizzier's chest. The monster launched another flame, which Conrad interposed by stepping in front of the Martial Artist. The impact blew him backwards into Sasha, who gasped"You all right?"

"Yeah, that thing is more bark then bite" gasped the Thief.

Arianna healed herself with a Heal spell before turning her attention back to the monster as she suddenly remembered which sword technique worked on dragons_"_Trent, distract it for a moment, I know how we can take him down!"

The blond Gladiator swung virtecally down at Grand Lizzier, which blocked it with it's claws. Arianna focused some of her inner energy into an ancient power, before charging and performing an upward slash at the Grand Lizzier. The monster roared in pain before launching another burst of flames.

"Multi-Heal!" Alicia had gotten back up and healed her teammates. Nearby, Sasha administrated a heal herb to conrad's burnt chest before performing a round-house kick at the dragon. The Grand Lizzier stumbled backwards, then slashed at the Martial Artist.

Trent glanced at Arianna"What was that skill?"

"It's an ancient technique, commonly known as the Dragon Slash. It pierces the thick skin of dragons, inflicting extra damage, but now we must turn our attention back to the fight" replied the Celestrian.

Sasha managed to dodge most of the Grand Lizzier's attacks, while Raymond hit the transformed lizard with another Ka-Crack. Trent and Arianna launched a dual Dragon Slash on Grand Lizzier, while Sasha aimed a powerful Knuckle Sandwhich, knocking the monster back. Grand Lizzier spat another flame attack, which Trent countered with another Dragon Slash. Raymond seized the moment to cast another Ka-Crack.

"I think it's weakening" said Trent, prepping another Dragon Slash. Sasha took a moment to reflect on what is now going to happen'If we die, someone else may eventually take up the task of getting the rest of the Fyggs. But if the Grand Lizzier dies, Queen Voluptua may lose Drak, fate really has no mercy'.

Trent had connected the next blow to the transformed lizard, while Raymond cast Ka-Crack once again.

Just then, a voice cried out"Wait!"

To the group's surprise, Misslei had entered the chamber. Arianna turned to address the woman, Drak had also stopped fighting to see who entered the room. Misslei implored the violet-haired warrior"You musn't fight his Dryness any longer. If Drak dies, the queen will have no one to confide in or talk to."

Queen Voluptua gasped"Misslei, how could you help me after I've treated you so horribly?"

Misslei smiled"It's okay, I just wanted to help."

The queen sighed"I just never thought you cared, no one ever cared about me before, or so I thought. That's why I've been so horrible to everyone."

Drak shed a tear, seeing the touching display between his mistress and the handmaid"I see that I have been foolish, I believed I was the only one who cared about the queen. I loved her, even."

Arianna sighed"Well, it looks like things will be all right, after all. It all was just a huge misunderstanding, wasn't it?"

Sasha smiled as she approached the queen"Your majesty, I don't really expect you to know me, but I am Sasha. Master Johansan's daughter."

"Hm? Is that so? I see, did you know my father then?" inquired the queen.

The Martial Artist shook her head"My father talked about him in passing, but I think King Aqeas probably wanted to be with you, but couldn't find the time to talk to his only daughter. To be honest, I was honored to meet with you, even though you seemed like you were bitter and troubled on the inside."

"The honor is mine, now that I saw that you and your friends cared enough to come to my aid" said Queen Voluptua.

Drak addressed Arianna"I will now return to my normal form, I apologize to everyone. Arianna, is that your name? I wish you good luck on your quest."

The Grand Lizzier glowed and transformed back into a regular, small lizard. The Fygg materialized in front of Arianna's feet.

Queen Voluptua smiled at the six heroes"The Fygg is yours for helping me, I understand everything now. Now I know there are all sorts of people and creatures who care about me, I will make this up to my people. Sasha, you are welcome to visit Gleeba anytime."

Arianna put the Fygg in her bag with the others, then said"Your majesty, will you permit us to escort you, Misslei and Drak back to Mirage Mahal?"

"I am grateful" said the queen.

* * *

><p>Another hour passed as the heroes returned Drak, Misslei and Queen Voluptua back to Mirage Mahal. The heroes bade a solem farewell to the three before heading out to the town. Alicia glanced at the sky"It's been a long day, we should rest up now."<p>

Arianna nodded"Let's meet up at the inn after some last minute shopping. We'll decide there what our next destination should be."

Sasha checked her map"The only major locations marked on my map left that are accessible by boat are the Plains of IIuugazar, and Swinedimples Academy. I heard a lot about these places, in fact, Swinedimples is where my father first studied the art of Karate, they teach a variety of subjects there."

Conrad addressed the group"Oh, and about this morning. I guess I should apologize for my behavior on the boat."

"I already forgave that" smiled Arianna.

Sasha turned to address the Thief"By the way, you're still fine, right?"

Conrad shrugged"Yeah, but that flame almost killed me, why?"

"Let's give it a rest, we've made rapid progress on the Fyggs so far. We'll take the day off tomorrow, the day after that we set sail again" said the Celestrian.

"Agreed" said the blond Swordsman.

* * *

><p>Sorry that took me a good eleven days to finish. As for the boat, I took a more realistic approach. After all, how would a boat be able to stop moving without an Anchor?<p>

Anyway, I hope this chapter was enjoyable, despite lack of action.

Please feel free to review.


	16. Intermission and the Trek to Batsureg

Another day and another chapter. You may already know the drill by now, but thoughts are represented by ', " indicates spoken dialogue and _ indicates a change in character point of view and/or lapse in time. Oh, and I did a little bit of editing at the last minute.

Disclaimer: Squaresoft created DQIX and owns the copyright to the series in general.

* * *

><p>Chapter XV: Intermission and the Trek to Batsureg<p>

The following day found the heroes exploring the town, taking in the scenery. The overall mood of the townspeople was happier, as Queen Voluptua turned over a new leaf and started using her taxes for the good of the citizens of Gleeba. What was more, the formerly private bath chamber became the public women's bath chamber.

As Trent cleaned his blade from yesterday's battle before putting it down, he thought of the events that took him and his friends on their journey thus far'These past few days had been constant battles and walking, but who am I to complain? I have to keep in shape somehow'.

Conrad rested on the bed nearby in the men's room of the inn. Sasha, after meditating a bit in the room where she and the other two female members of the group stayed, went to explore the kingdom some more. As Sasha ventured towards Mirage Mahal for another visit, she thought'Arianna and the others aren't bad at all. It's a shame we seldom have time to get to know each other during our journey'.

Arianna went over to the item shop where Alicia was buying stronger healing herbs and selling a couple lesser medicinal herbs"How's the day off, so far?"

"Pretty good, I took the opprotunity to stock up on some more supplies, what about you?" inquired the Priestess.

The Celestrian replied"I've been a little busy myself just checking on things to make sure nothing is out of place."

Alicia smiled as she pocked her purchase"Everything's fine, the people of Gleeba are happier since their queen had a change of heart."

Arianna sighed"Yeah, that was all and good. But it seems that she may not have changed if it weren't for the incident with Drak and the Fygg."

"So what of the earthquake you had at the Observatory? That's not very common, is it?" inquired the Priestess.

The Celestrian replied"It's never happened before, especially not anywhere near the beginning of the legacy of the Celestrians. That dosen't mean much, but I would think that a force somewhere on this planet is responsible for it."

Alicia shrugged"Well, no point dwelling too much on it I suppose. Shall we head back to the inn?"

Arianna nodded"Yeah, we should depart as early as humanly possible, we don't know where the next town is exactly."

* * *

><p>At Mirage Mahal, Sasha paid Queen Voluptua a quick visit before visiting the palace's terrace once again. The Martial Artist breathed in the fresh clean air as she looked around, when she spotted someone standing across from her. It was a woman with dark brown hair dressed in a Paladin's uniform.<p>

The person spoke"Hey, can I help you?"

"No, but who are you?" inquired Sasha.

The woman replied"My name is Brunhild, a traveling Paladin. I just got here this morning, you're Master Johansan's daughter, aren't you?"

Sasha replied"Yes, I'm not surprised if you heard of my father, he's one of the greatest Martial Artists the world over. Not that I intend to brag about my family, of course."

"I hope you don't think of me as rude, but I have heard a little about a small group of travelers who'd done some incredible things. There are very few Paladins in the world, so I was hoping to share my skills with someone" said Brunhild.

"Well, the world has been at peace until some time ago. Paladins just haven't been on high demand, lately" said the Martial Artist.

Brunhild inquired"Oh, and where's the rest of your party? You were traveling with them, weren't you?"

"They're at the inn, but how did you know of us?" said Sasha.

"I travel a lot, as a result I hear strange and/or wonderful things. I heard of your group's exploits in not just Stornway, but Alltrades Abbey and recently Gleeba. I wish to speak to your leader" said Brunhild.

"I'll go get the others" said Sasha.

"I'll wait right here for you" said the Paladin.

The Martial Artist left the palace and went to the inn to find her companions. Conrad, who just woke up from his nap inquired"What's up?"

Sasha replied"There's a Paladin visiting Mirage Mahal, she wishes to speak to you, Arianna."

Arianna raised an eyebrow"I hadn't realized how popular was seem to be getting with our actions. Take us to her, there is something I should say as well."

The six returned to Mirage Mahal's terrace, stopping in the throne room to pay their respect to Queen Voluptua, who was surprsied to hear of another mysterious visitor to Gleeba"Well, I don't really care what she does as long as it dosen't negatively affect the country. Tell this Brunhild that she'd best conduct herself admirably, I'd hate to cause anymore unecessary pain then I already had."

"We'll keep it in mind, your highness" replied Trent.

Arianna and her group continued on back to the terrace where Brunhild waited. The Martial Artist addressed her"The queen was surprised to hear of you, have you met her?"

"No, I thought it best to move undercover. I thought she'd be traumitized by whatever happened yesterday" said Brunhild.

"Nah, she took it in stride. That silly lizard didn't realize that there were others that cared about his mistress anymore then she did. Anyway, what did you need to talk about?" inquired Raymond.

Brunhild replied"The Paladin vocation is not an easy one to master. I thought I'd help you, should you decide to undertake the path of the Paladin."

The Martial Artist was taken aback"I never considered becoming a Paladin, my father stuck to the way of the Martial Artist throughout his time. If it would help my allies, I'd like to learn the way of the Paladin."

"Hey, you know, there were monsters running around these days. How'd you get around, Brunhild?" inquired Trent.

The traveling Paladin replied"I had my own boat, but it was destroyed by monsters as soon as I reached Gleeba. Sasha, will you consider my offer and study the way of the Paladin?"

The Martial Artist nodded"Very well, we'll accept your help. Arianna, what do you think?"

"The Paladin Vocation is best for one of us to take on, yesterday's battle was somewhat embarrassing" said the violet haired Warrior.

Brunhild smiled"Okay, now here's what I have to say. Paladins protect their allies through various abilities, and can use some of the basic support spells which Priests also employ. Paladins have their own spells, too, but a Paladin's healing abilities are not quite as powerful as a Priest's."

Arianna thought for a moment, then spoke"Since Sasha is adament about her current Vocation, and Abbott Jack of Alltrades suggested that I could move into the Paladin Vocation, that path is what I'll consider undertaking."

"I appreciate it, Arianna. But I rather would not let my pride get in the way" interjected Sasha.

The violet haired Warrior responded"It's all right, I can take the Paladin Vocation at some point. Anyway, thank you for your tips Brunhild. But why are you so interested in us?"

The female Paladin shrugged"No reason, really. I just thought I'd share some of my knowledge and skills of the Paladin Vocation. I don't know the reason for your travels, but I wish you good luck in your quest. Maybe when we meet again sometime, I can help you get in some practice as a Paladin."

"Sure about this? Those guys don't look like much" interjected a voice as a yellow being appeared.

Brunhild glanced at the spirit"Please, that's enough, Willow."

"What is that?" inquired Trent.

The Paladin replied"This is my sprit guide, Willow. A spirit guide often accompanies a Paladin for a time while he or she hones their skill. Perhaps when one of you so chooses to, a Spirit guide will appear to whoever becomes a Paladin like myself. Now, just because I shared my knowledge dosen't mean there will be some competition, I aim to become a top Paladin."

Alicia addressed the traveling Paladin"Aren't you going to come with us, Brunhild?"

Brunhild shook her head"I must contribute in helping to keep the peace in Gleeba. That's how I can best serve the world at this time. Your mission may be different then mine, but our paths may cross again."

"Very well, good-bye. Oh, and Queen Voluptua told me to tell you to best conduct yourself, I don't know what she'll do otherwise" said Arianna.

The Paladin shrugged"I'll do my best. Good luck to you all."

Arianna and her group returned to the inn, when Conrad spoke up"I just realized, I might be better off with a different Vocation myself. Maybe I can become a Ranger, my usefulness as a Thief is dwindling somewhat."

Sasha responded"I'd like to keep up with my training as a Martial Artist, but perhaps I can master a greater variety of abilities if I become a Paladin. Abilities are cross-compatible between vocations, am I wrong?"

"Yeah, but I hear that for some strange reason, the person who changes his or her vocation forgets certain spells until they switch back to the corresponding job" said Conrad.

"All right guys, let's rest up and head for Illugazar Plains in the morning. Sasha, are there any villages there?" inquired the Celestrian.

Sasha replied"There is a nomadic style village called Batsureg. The village is listed on my map."

"How'd you come across the map, anyway?" inquired Conrad.

The Martial Artist replied"It was entrusted to me by my father, did I not tell you? Complete world maps like this are rare these days, the monster population was beginning to get out of hand. So very few people travel the world due to slight monster infestations."

"You really know a lot, kinda impressive for a Martial Artist" remarked Conrad.

Sasha struggled to contain a slight blush as she replied"My father taught me many things, but I also used to hear stories from my mother. Her time with me and Master Johansan was short, she disappeared one day."

The Thief shrugged"Well, sorry to hear about that."

"It's fine, I know things will turn out right in the end" said the Martial Artist.

As the six went to their respective beds in the inn, Alicia addressed Sasha"So how are you getting along with Conrad?"

"Whatever happened with our fathers had nothing to do with us, that much I know. Are you implying something?" inquired the Martial Artist.

"The chemistry between our group is amazing. It kind of feels like we can take on anything, what do you think of Conrad?" persisted Alicia.

Sasha shrugged"He's okay, but what brought this on?"

"Let's just get to bed" said Alicia.

* * *

><p>The heroes departed the inn the following day and returned to the Pride of Bloomingdale. After they changed back into their previous garments, Trent addressed Sasha"What's our course this time?"<p>

"The cloest we can get to Batzsureg from the sea would be the Urdus Marshland, which is south of the Iluugazar Plains. The time it would take to reach Batsureg is half a day at best, north east of Urdus Marshland is Snowberia where Swinedimples Academy is located" said the Martial Artist.

"Swinedimples Academy is probably closer then Batsureg" said Conrad.

"Not exactly, the name Snowberia isn't just for show. It's a somewhat treacherous snowland, the founder of Swinedimples built it there supposedly to toughen up potential students" said Sasha, shaking her head.

"Let's head for Batsureg first" said Arianna.

The group sailed north west from Djust Desert Island. Trent took his spot at the Helm while Conrad kept a lookout from the Starboard side of the ship. Raymond addressed Alicia as they relaxed below the deck"Since there are two more Fyggs to recover. what would you think about going out sometime after the mission?"

"Yeah, it's been a few days. But our quest for the Fyggs is just about over, two to go" said Alicia.

While Raymond and Alicia were talking, Sasha remained with Conrad and stood by his side"Alicia asked me what I thought of you, but what do you think of me?"

The Thief replied"Well, what can I say? There was bad blood between our fathers, but I admit that you're a cute and decent girl."

The Martial Artist blushed"I am not used to being complimented so directly, but thank you."

"I'm just saying the truth, that's all" shrugged Conrad.

The group sailed the Pride of Bloomingdale northwest until they came to a large brown and green landmass. Conrad addressed Sasha"Do you reckon this is the place?"

"Urdus Marshland, the swampland which leads to Snowberia and Iluugazar. According to my map, it's right here" said the Martial Artist.

"What next, Arianna? Should we split up?" inquired Trent.

The Celestrian shook her head"No, we'd best stay together. Monsters are even more likely to attack smaller groups, we would just get picked off one by one in this wilderness. Now let's head on over to Batsureg."

The six docked their boat at the nearest beach, and began to proceed north west. The trek through the marshland was slightly damp, but they pressed on. It didn't hurt that their shoes were slightly wet from the swamp.

"Sheesh, this is kind of gross" remarked Alicia.

"At least I could simply fly over it if I still had wings, but no there is no use crying over spilled milk" responded Arianna.

The group eventually found their way to a vast, open grassland with an open view of the clear sky and semi-surrounded by mountains. Alicia was breathtaken"Isn't this place beautiful?"

"Yeah, pretty isn't it?" remarked Raymond.

"Anyone else get their shoes dirty?" inquired Sasha.

The Celestrian interjected"That swamp water was not that dirty, just damp. We'll have to cross it one more time to reach Snowberia and Swinedimples Academy after we check Batsureg, so let's just try to grin and bear it."

The sun was close to setting when the heroes came to a small village in the middle of the plains. Upon entering, they saw a few buildings scattered, and a small cave to the south west.

"So now what?" said Conrad.

"Let's talk to the local villagers and go to the inn for the night" replied Arianna.

Since nightfall was approaching, one of the few people outside was a guard in front of what looked like the village leader's house. Arianna addressed the guard"Excuse me, but can you tell us where we can find a yellow fruit with a green top on it?"

The man blinked"No one in this village has seen anything like that, outsider. Perhaps you could come back in the morning and talk to Chief Batkhann about it, he might know more then I".

"Pardon me, but I noticed that there was quite a bit of security around here, is there anything wrong in this village?" piped Trent.

The guard sighed"Nothing, save for rumors of a beast attacking this village recently."

"Can you direct us to the inn?" inquired Arianna.

The man replied"Didn't you see the sign on one of the the building near the entrance? A weapon shop is located near it."

"Thank you, sir" said Trent.

The six went to the inn. The innkeeper, a woman, noticed Arianna"Oh, welcome travelers. What brings you to this inn at this late hour?"

"We're staying the night" replied the violet haired Warrior, putting down thirty two gold pieces from her pocket.

The Innkeeper accepted the cash, saying"There's a room for the guys and one for girls, have a nice stay."

Trent sighed as they went towards their assigned room"Think we'll win favor with the locals if we deal with the mystery monster?"

"Batsureg is a peaceful village, so it actually sounds pretty far-fetched" muttered Conrad.

"We can't be too careful, but we should talk to the chief tomorrow" said Arianna.

"Good night everyone" said Sasha, walking into one of the inn's bedrooms.

Raymond snuck a kiss to Alicia's cheek, the Priestess blushed"I wasn't in the mood, but thanks for that."

The mage smiled, then walked into the room beside the one Sasha went into. The Thief commented"That mage is too forward, would ya' think?"

Alicia shook her head"I don't mind, Raymond is my boyfriend after all. But Conrad, how are you getting along with Sasha?"

Conrad shrugged"I never thought much about love, but I suppose she's my type."

"I heard that" spoke said Martial Artist from the doorway to the girls' room, though she was secretly blushing a little bit.

Arianna shrugged"Well, let's get some sleep."

"Good night" said Trent, smiling at the Celestrian.

As Arianna joined Sasha and Alicia in the girls' room, she felt a warm sensation'What's this? I haven't felt this warm on the inside before. Could I possibly be falling for Trent? Oh, snap out of it Arianna, you have a mission to complete. There's just no time for love, or is there?' Suppressing the warring emotions in her heart and brain, the Celestrian went to bed.

* * *

><p>I hope this little filler wasn't too boring. I thought I would cover the Iluugazar segment in two chapters to stretch out this fic a bit more. I realize that this chapter is shorter then my previous one, but this is the best I can probably do. I also apologize if the chapter title seems lame, my creativity sometimes runs dry.<p>

As for the scene I added regarding Brunhild and the Paladin vocation, that was just a small extra that I added on a whim. I know what I said about there not being much fluff for the next few chapters, but it seemed only fair to do a bit more character development.

Please feel free to review.


	17. The Witch of the Plains

Okay, sorry if that last chapter turned out badly due to lack of action or anything, this one will have more action then last time. I don't remember too well the actual dialogue for the Batsureg Fygg segment, but I mostly use my own words anyway and remember the DQIX game's events for the most part. Also, please excuse any OOCness.

I did some editing, sorry about the last minute change.

Just a reminder: spoken word is ", ' indicates thoughts, and _ is a change in point of view or lapse in time.

Disclaimer: DQIX was developed by Squaresoft.

* * *

><p>Chapter XVI: The Witch of the Plains<p>

The six heroes woke up the following day, bought and ate a quick breakfast of fresh vegetables made into a salad and some fish. Sasha sat in thought as they ate"The journey is nearly over with but two Fyggs remaining." Raymond shrugged as he took a large bite of his fishstick.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting a bit tired of camp-fire food" said Conrad.

"Are you trying to tell us that salads and other quick dishes don't cut it? I can't cook, but even if I knew how to, this quest is urgent enough that we can't get too sidetracked" sighed Arianna.

Alicia piped up after taking a bite of her salad snd swallowing"I always envisioned Celestrians as perfect beings. Not that I mean any offense, just that stories always make them sound invincible and awesome."

Arianna suppressed a laugh at that"My people are hardly that different, but cooking is optional for the most part where I live. Celestrians are warriors and healers. They, which includes me, don't require the exact same nourishment as mortals."

"Interesting, so how is it possible to go without food?" wondered Sasha.

The Celestrian replied"The magic in my fellow Celestrians and my bodies fuels us with the energy we require to perform our duties as Guardians. True, we have regular fruits, vegetables and bread where we came from, but Celestrians only need to eat enough to remain energized. Don't aske me anything else, it's just the way the Almighty created us."

The group headed out of the Inn towards the Chieftain's house after finishing their breakfast and paying the innkeeper. Trent could not help but wonder as they walked"What sort of monster do you reckon they're having trouble with?"

Arianna briefly shook her head"I don't know, that's why we're going to talk to the chieftain. While we're at it, I'm going to ask around about the Fygg."

The group was permitted to enter the chieftain's hut by the guard. Inside, a dark haired man sat on his throne-like seat, next to him was a strange woman with dark hair and a purple veil covering part of her face. While she appeared to be human, Arianna could not help but sense a strange aura emitting from the woman.

The man greeted the group "Welcome to Batsureg, travellers. I am Batkhann, the Chieftain of this humble village".

The Celestrian spoke respectfully"I'm Arianna. My companions and I are looking for a yellow fruit called a Fygg. Have you seen anything like that?"

The Chieftan replied"No, I'm afraid I haven't."

The woman at Batkhann's started at Arianna's inquiry. Batkhann adressed her"Did they offend you in some way, Sarantsatsral?"

"No, merely surprised me, Chief Batkhann" said the woman.

Trent got right to his point"Sir, we heard of a monster attacking the village lately. Is there anything we can do to help?"

Batkhann sighed"That is but one of my troubles, but this need not concern you. If you wish it, we can help you locate the fruit you're looking for."

"We are grateful, sir" said Sasha.

Just then, another young man in his late teens with dark hair the same as his father's entered the tent. The guard whom Arianna spoke with last night accompanied him and alerted the Chief"We have trouble, a beast is approaching the village!"

Batkhann quickly addressed the young dark haired man"This is your chance, Batzorig. You must help defend the village and me."

"I-I can't do it" hesitated the Chieftain's son.

Batkhann sighed heavily before turning his attention back to Arianna"Forgive me, but can you help us drive away the monster?"

Arianna nodded"Leave it to me, sir. Trent, Alicia, I might need help with this."

"No problem" said the Gladiator.

Arianna, Trent and Alicia rushed outside to find the villagers facing a brown, ape-like creature rushing into their village on all fours. The villagers attempted to block the creature, but it evaded them. Alicia was shocked'This is the monster attacking the plains? It's nothing but a mere Badboon. Trent, Arianna and I can take it'.

The Badboon charged forward until it seemed to stop where Arianna, Trent and Alicia arood. The Celestrian and the Gladiator were poised to draw their blades, which seemed to prompt the Badboon into retreating out of Batsureg. As the creature retreated, Trent shook his head'What a coward'.

"Let's report back, we'll deal with that thing later" said Alicia.

The three flocked back into the Chieftain's Tent and explained what had happened. Batkhann was impressed"So you drove away the beast, I am grateful for your intervention. It seemed to be after me."

Batzorig addressed Arianna"Sorry I couldn't be of help, I was frightened."

Sarantsatsral interjected"You have no need to be ashamed, Batzorig. Our friends have taken care of things for the time being."

"I-I appreciate your kind words, Sarantsatsral" said the younger man.

Batkhann spoke"Now we have pressing matters to attend, that beast will likely return. Batzorig, to show you have what it takes to be Chief, you must hunt the beast."

"I cannot, father" replied Batzorig, fear evident in his voice.

"If you cannot prove yourself, what will become of Batsureg due to your cowardice? Arianna, I must ask that you aid Batzorig. With your help he could surely defeat the monster" said Batkhann.

Batzorig persisted"I cannot hunt it. Arianna, is that right? I don't want to burden you."

Trent face-palmed, not believing what he heard. Batkhann sighed as he addressed the guard"Escort Batzorig to the Hunter's Yurts to prepare. The fate of Batsureg lies upon him."

The guard nodded, while the Chieftain's son looked horrified"But dad-"

"Please do not try my patience any more, it's time you learned your place, Bazorig" sighed the older man.

As Batzorig was taken against his will, Arianna addressed the chief"We can still help, regardless if he wants us to or not. If we can help Batzorig, can you help us find the Fygg?"

"Of course, the Hunter's Yurts is north of here. Good luck, Arianna, sorry you had to see this. Batzorig, I'm afraid to admit, has little to no courage" said the Chieftain.

"It's no trouble. We'll do our best to aid your son" said Arianna.

Arianna and her group left Batsureg after stocking up on supplies. Trent bought a new Valkyrie Sword for himself, while Arianna purchased some armor. As they marched north, Arianna spoke with her companions"There is something wrong with the whole situation, everything is just odd."

"What do you mean?" inquired Aisha.

The Celestrian replied"I sensed a strange aura from not just the Chieftain's advisor, but the Badboon and Batzorig as well. I have my sucspicions, but it is far too soon to tell for certain. There seemed to be no malice in the Badboon, and I can see it in Batzorig's eyes that there is something more to this drama."

The six arrived at a small camp, where they caught sight of the Badboon. Batzorig seemed to be talking to it"Now what do I do? Now father really thinks I'm a coward, let's go back to my mom's grave."

Arianna and her group followed Batzorig and the Badboon north, until they met up within a small cave with a gravestone nearby. The Badboon spotted the six and alerted Batsureg, who was astonished"What do you want?"

Arianna approached the man"There was really something wrong with all this, huh?"

Batzorig was surprised"Yeah, everyone thinks the Badboon is after my dad. But Khoonbish here is my friend, Arianna. Do you truly think he's after my father's life?"

The Celestrian shook her head a bit as she smiled"The Badboon didn't hurt anyone, but I can see why people were afraid when it tried to approach your father's tent. Would you mind telling me how you bonded with him? Ordinairy people can't tame monsters, nor are monsters normally that docile. Call it intuition, but there is something more to all this. Would you care to tell me everything?"

Batzorig hesitantly nodded"My mom and I found him injured on the plains and nursed him to health, I named the Badboon Khoonbish. My own cowardice is nothing but a ruse, the true enemy is Sarantsatsral, my father's advisor. She arrived at the village not that long ago."

"Sarantsatsral seemed like a good person to me, was there something wrong with her?" inquired Alicia.

The chief's son replied"When Sarantsatsral first showed up, my insticts told me that something was not right with her. She's really a demoness in disguise, Khoonbish and I had been trying to expose Sarantsatsral and defeat her. I only know because I accidently caught her talking to herself when she first showed up".

Arianna nodded"I thought there was something wierd about Sarantsatsral's aura, but I needed to know more about what was going on. You may be doing the right thing, but you can't exactly solve the basic problem the way you were. Why didn't you tell your father? He was disappointed in your supposed cowardice."

"He wouldn't believe me" replied Batzorig.

"Arianna, is that your name?" said a voice, drawing the Celestrian's attention to her left. The ghost of a middle-aged woman had appeared, standing above her gravestone.

The Celestrian was surprised"Who are you?"

The woman replied"My name was Baryaama, I was Batzorig's mother."

Arianna inquired"How did you know my name? More importantly, can you tell us how to expose Sarantsatsral? Assuming she really is the demon Batzorig says she is."

Baryaama explained"I was watching the events unfold from beyond the grave, Batsureg is indeed in trouble. The witch Sarantsatsral is a powerful demoness trying to take over the plains. But there is nothing I can do to alert my husband due to my death, the witch is using him."

Trent was still shocked by what he was hearing, Alicia and Raymond just stood there with Sasha and Conrad. Batzorig could not help but address Arianna"Is there something wrong?"

"Your mother's ghost is here, but she is invisible to the mortal eye" said Arianna.

Baryaama interjected"There's a way to expose Sarantsatsral before things get out of hand. In the ruins of the Village of Gerzuun north east of here lies the Bodura Grass which houses the power to reveal one's true form, it is where I was born and lived until Gerzuun fell to powerful monsters. One more thing you must know is her true name, which is the opposite of what she calls herself."

Arianna nodded, thanking the spirit before addressing Batzorig"Your mother's spirit spoke to me, Batzorig. The ruins of Gurzunn has the Bodura Grass, which can reveal Sarantsatsral's true form. My companions and I can defeat the demoness, but we'll need help if I don't want to cause a commotion."

"I don't understand everything, but Khoonbish and I will follow you. Gerzuun is where we're headed, right?" inquired the Batsureg Chieftain's son.

Trent sighed"No offense, but shouldn't you go home? I doubt that a Badboon would be much protection".

"Let's just take them along, we'll only arouse suspicion of someone catches all of us with a Badboon. Let's all get the Bodura Grass so we can expose Sarantsatsral" said Arianna.

The group traveled north east. The wilderness before them was damp, but not so much as the Urdus Marshland. Alicia bit down on her lip a bit to keep from complaining, Conrad and Sasha held their noses for a bit in the moss of the foul-smelling region. Arianna was indifferent, while Trent interacted with Batzorig and Khoonbish.

The trek lasted until they found what looked like a cave, Trent was a bit shocked"Dosen't that look a bit small to be a village?"

"Things aren't always what they seem, now let's go in and find the Bodura Grass" replied Arianna.

The interior of the cave consisted of several platforms, and a ramp heading to higher areas. Arianna could tell this was formerly a village from the rubble in the general vicinity. Alicia said a silent prayer for the sake of those who had died within this very village, Trent sighed"I guess this is a den of beasts, now."

"Right, let's stay together. Conrad, Alicia, you two stay close behind us with Batzorig and Khoonbish. There is no telling what we'll run into" said Arianna.

The group trotted onward, until they were beset upon by some totem poll like monsters. Trent sighed"We don't have time for those freaky-tikis." At this, the tiki monsters threw a spell, knockng Trent back. Arianna cut one down while Sasha smashed the other. Arianna sighed as she cast heal on Trent"Let's move on."

The group's progress was proving to be even more fraught with danger as they ascended the ramp leading to the ruined village's upper levels. Several armored monsters and a giant troll attacked. Alicia glared at Trent"You jinxed us, didn't you?"

"Hey, nothing I can't handle. KA-BOOM!" Raymond's spell decimated the monsters somewhat, but the troll and two Infernal armors remained. The troll tried to club Trent, but he dodged while Arianna stabbed the monster. Sasha smashed on Infernal Armor with her battle stave, while Trent dueled the other. Seeing his chance, Raymond froze the Infernal Armor in it's place with Crack, giving Trent the opprotunity to finish it off.

"I don't think the jinx is over" sighed Conrad. Arianna rolled her eyes, but signaled her group to continue. Three more Tiki monsters were encountered, which were promptly blasted by Raymond's spells.

The rest of the climb was smooth sailing, but Sasha caught wind of a strange sound and turned. Conrad glanced back at her"What's wrong?"

"The rest of the monsters are preparing to overtake us. I estimate that there are more Infernal Armors, Trolls and Cheeky Tikis" said the Martial Artist. The rest of the group turned, and sure enough there was a small horde of monsters heading towards them. In front of them was a powerful sorcerer, Arianna guessed that it was the leader of the monster horde that attacked Gerzuun decades ago.

"Monsters aren't that intellegent, is Sarantsatsral onto us?" groaned Raymond. Khoonbish let out an indignant snort at the comment.

"I don't think she'd want to risk arousing suspicion" said Batzorig.

Sasha frowned"What if it IS Sarantsatsral?"

Trent scanned the inconing horde"The Sorcerer is probably the leader. If we defeat the leader, the rest of the Monster Horde shouldn't be too organized. Conrad, take Batzorig and Khoonbish with you to the passage up ahead while the rest of us put those jokers in their place."

Batzorig was about to protest"I can fight, so can Khoonbish!"

"Sorry, but respectable future chieftains don't go getting killed for no good reason" said Raymond cheekily, before casting Bang on the monster horde. Trent and Arianna stepped in front of the mage, protecting their comrade. Conrad signaled Khoonbish and Batzorig to follow him into the room up ahead.

As two Infernal Armors reached the group, Trent and Arianna cut through them. Raymond cast another spell at the monster horde, eliminating the Cheeky Tikis and two Infernal Armors. Raymond barely dodged as a Infernal Armor reached him and slashed, Sasha bashesd it into the wall with a strong Knuckle Sandwhich. The remaining Freaky Tikis began to cast their spells, only to be blasted by Bang.

"Foiled!" smirked Raymond, while Trent and Arianna fought even more Infernal Armors. Sasha was face to face against the Sorcerer, which cast a powerful spell at her. Trent knocked her out of the way, only to get burnt. While Alicia healed her brother, Arianna tapped into her inner power and decimated the Sorcerer with a Falcon Slash.

With the sorcerer down, the remaining monsters scattered, losing their formation. Trent, Arianna and Raymond dispatched them promptly, the Mage grinned"Nothing stands against us."

"Let's move on, Conrad is waiting for us" said Arianna.

The group reunited in a small chamber, where some grass grew with white pollen coming out. Trent let out a sigh"Looks like this is the place."

Arianna picked some of the grass, handing it to Batzorig as she did"We got the grass, now we need a plan to force the truth out of Sarantsatsral."

"Leave that to me, you guys helped me out a great deal" said Batzorig.

"We're all fighting for the same thing at present, my companions and I need to rest before we confront Sarantsatsral. In the meantime, what will you do?" said Arianna.

Batzorig replied"I will convert this Bodura Grass into a powder like substance, I will proceed with our strategy."

The group evacuated Gerzuun, parting with Batzorig and Khoonbish at the Hunters' Yurts. Arianna said good-bye before warping to Stornway with her team. Upon their return to the Quester's Rest, Erinn greeted the Celestrian"How are you? It's been a while."

"Erinn, I have no intention of holding you up, will you let us stay until evening?" inquired Arianna.

The innkeeper smiled"No problem. As before, I'll give you a special staff rate, speaking of which: We have more visitors in the suites upstairs if you'd like to meet them."

"Maybe next time, how long are they staying?" inquired Arianna, putting down a few coins.

"A few days, at the most. The guests in question are in no hurry, have a nice rest" replied Erinn.

In the rooms upstairs, the group put their stuff down before tending to any injuries they might have overlooked. Raymond headed downstairs with Alicia to pick up a part-time job, while Trent gazed out the window. Arianna approached the Gladiator"Thinking about something?"

Trent sighed"I'm just a bit tired, how powerful do you think is Sarantsatsral?"

"I don't know enough about her, she seemed decent enough, but I imagine that most children on the Protectorate read stories that had witches just pretending to be kind, but are really evil and or cannibalistic. But Trent, we really need to relax, let's take nap" said the Celestrian.

Sasha gazed at the pair from her and Conrad's part of the room"They must be in their own little world."

Conrad shrugged"What can I say? Reckon they'll get together?"

"That seems unlikely, but my intuition may be completely wrong. Their chemistry is not completely one-sided, but who knows what will happen in the future?" sighed the Martial Artist.

"Maybe, maybe not. Anyway, when we get the last two Fyggs and Arianna's finished her mission, want to go out with me?" inquired Conrad.

Sasha shrugged"Let's play that one by ear, Arianna had a feeling that some greater evil is at work. But I've had enough of this dark talk, let's get some rest."

* * *

><p>Later that day, Arianna and her group gathered at the gate to Stornway and zoomed back to Batsureg. By the time they got there, Trent noticed Khoonbish and Batzorig, watching them were the villagers. Batkhann and Sarantsatsral were among them as Batzorig and Khoonbish appeared to fight.<p>

The crowed seemed to watch with anticipation, unaware that it was a mock fight. Batzorig held a blade in his hands as Khoonbish deliberately missed with a punch. Batzorig appeared to knock him down, poised to deliver the final blow. As Batkhann urged Batzorig on, the younger man did something the villagers and his father didn't expect. Khoonbish lay still, closing it's eyes while Batzorig pulled out a powdery substance, his eye focued on Sarantsatsral.

As soon as the Advisor let her guard down, Batzorig tossed some powder at Sarantsatsral, signaling Khoonbish"NOW!"

The Badboon lunged at Sarantsatsral, throwing a punch. The so-called Advisor was surprised by both actions and began to writhe from the powder. One of the villagers gasped as Sarantsatsral appeared to transform"What did you do?"

"What's the meaning of this?" demanded Batkhann.

Batzorig addressed the people and his father"Sarantsatsral is not what she seemed. The woman before you is but the guise of a demon, she is the true villain of the plains." Arianna, Trent, Conrad, Sasha, Raymond and Alicia gathered in front of Batzorig, just as Sarantsatsral was forced out of her human form to reveal the demoness within.

Much to Alicia and Sasha's disgust, Sarantsatsral transformed into a figure with light and dark pink skin, a reptile-like face, her garments green and black. Trent drew his sword"The jig is up, Sarantsatsral!"

The monster hissed"So, you figured me out. I was about to use to take over the plains, but now you will pay for ruining my plans. Prepare to face the wrath of Larstastnaras!"

Khoonbish lunged at the monster, only to be knocked back with magic. As Alicia tended to the injured Badboon, Raymond cast a Kacrack spell on the witch. Larstastnaras shrugged it off with an evil cackle before casting Boom. Conrad and Sasha dodged, while Trent slashed at Larstastnaras's thigh, only to be blinded by a major Dazzle Spell.

"Blast! I can't see a thing!" groaned Conrad. Alicia quickly remedied the effects, while Raymond tried Kasizzle. Larstastnaras snarled as she countered with Boom"Your puny spells are useless against me!"

"Multi-Heal!" Alicia had cast a poweful healing spell on her allies, while Trent launched a Dragon Slash. The demon knocked him back with her stave, while Sasha multi-punched her. Larstastnaras cast another Boom spell before connecting with another Dazzle, Raymond channeled his energy before launching a more powerful spell"Ka-BOOM!"

Larstastnaras staggered, while Trent launched Falcon Slash on her. The witch persisted with another Boom, which Alicia kept up with using Multi-Heal. Conrad groaned as he stood up from the recent blast"She's too powerful."

Raymond focused more power into his spells, unleashing a new one"Magic Barrier!"

A protective field surrounded the heroes while Alicia cast another Multi-Heal. Sasha decked Larstastnaras with a Knucke-Sandwhich only to be blasted backwards. Arianna and her allies regrouped, the Celestrian addressed the team"We'll have to combine our power to defeat her, cast another Ka-Boom spell Raymond. Trent and I will end this while she's staggered."

"I can still hear you!" growled Larstastnaras, casting Boom. The energy of the Magic Barrier spell absorbed most of the impact, just as Raymond shot his strongest spell at Larstastnaras. The demon desparately cast another Boom, which Trent and Arianna dodged before swinging down their swords. The monster was staggered by the attack, enabling Trent to deliver the final blow by vertically slashing upwards.

Raw power seeped from the wound caused by Trent's blade, Larstastnaras writhed once again. Within moments, she was covered by a bright glow, the heroes and the poeple watching the battle covered their eyes. When the glow subsided, a tiny Slugger remained where the ugly form of the witch stood.

"Party's over, Larstastnaras" said Trent.

The creature squeasked"I-I'm sory. Please, forgive me!"

Batzorig approached Larstastnaras"Such heinous acts cannot be easily forgiven. However, I will not take your life."

The Slugger continued to plead"I know I've caused so much trouble, it just gets lonely sometimes out there. I had no idea that fruit I ate was so powerful."

Arianna responded"So long as you've learned your lesson, we have no further reason to fight. Batzorig, I don't know about you, but I'm willing to accept her apology."

Batzorig nodded, just as Khoonbish approached the Slugger. Larstastnaras was surprised"You want me to go with you?" The Badboon seemed to smile at her with sympathy.

Aisha grinned"Looks like someone's got a new friend."

Batzorig addressed the two monsters"You're both leaving? Khoonbish, I'll miss you. See you around." After saying good bye, Larstastnaras and Khoonbish departed the village.

Batkhann spoke to his son"I am sorry, my heart didn't recognize Sarantsatsral as a beast. As of today, you shall be the new Chieftain in Training."

"Dad" gasped Batzorig.

As father and son hugged, Arianna had picked up a yellow fruit that materialized"Six Fyggs have now been recovered. Sasha, the last place left to look on this continent is Swinedimples Academy, right?"

"Indeed, our quest for the Fyggs is just about over" nodded the Martial Artist.

"You're leaving, too? You guys are the heroes" said Batzorig.

Alicia smiled"Yeah, but we'll visit sometime if possible."

Arianna turned to look at the sunset. Swinedimples Academy is the last on this continent, and one more Fygg was to be located. Trent put an arm around her as he glanced at the setting sun with her. The Celestrian did not resist, but seemed to relax as they glanced at the sun. Alicia and Raymond finished tending to their injuries, while Conrad and Sasha stood together as well.

* * *

><p>Sorry for the wait, but this chapter is now ready and ends in a cliffhanger. Next time I take longer then a week or two, you can go ahead and chew me out through PM. Again, sorry if I made some of the minor characters OOC.<p>

Please feel free to review.


	18. Swinedimples Academy Ghost Story

Another day and another chapter. Sorry in advance if I make the chapter below seem a bit too eerie, but there is a touch of mystery in this chapter. This chapter may be considered supernatural due to content. Just so that you know, there is a small part of this chapter that I don't think is for younger readers who might get nightmares. I might be exaggerating, but better safe then sorry.

I'm thinking about adding two more OCs, but they won't be part of the same group as the primary OC protagonists. They're minor characters, so they won't be around as much in this fic. I may or may not have hinted at another past DQ game character appearing briefly, but I'll see.

Disclaimer: DQIX is the product of Squaresoft.

* * *

><p>Chapter XVII: Swinedimples Academy Ghost Story<p>

Arianna and her group remained in Batsureg the following night to fully recuperate from their injuries from their fight with Larstastnaras's Fygg powered form. They managed to recover the sixth Fygg, while Batzorig was made Chieftain in Training, though his father was more ashamed for falling for Larstastnaras's trap then anything.

The six had spent a little more coin to stay the night after watching the sunset for a bit. Arianna had to struggle to contain a blush from Trent's affectionate hug, Trent also felt embarrased after they spent a bit of time watching the sunset.

That night, as they were getting ready for bed, Sasha addressed"Arianna, I think it's time Conrad and I switched Vocations. I can probably still retain my abilities as a martial artist, even if I become a Paladin."

"Newid Island is south west of here, but I agree that we can use some more powerful Vocations" replied the Celestrian.

"Raymond and I may not be ready to become sages yet. But Sasha, would you mind if I taught you some basic healing spells for the Paladin Vocation?" piped the Priestess.

The Martial Artist shook her head"not at all, but I do not know who I could practice the spells on. Restoractive magic requires the prescence of a real injury to work properly."

Trent shrugged"Well, no harm in changing Vocations if needed. Why not, Arianna?"

Arianna nodded"That shouldn't be a problem, but we should use Zoom to return to Alltrades Abbey and come back the same way. That way we'll have time to make our way to Swinedimples Academy via Urdus Marshland and Snowberia."

Alicia smiled"Well, that settles it. We'll depart in the morning."

The group slept until a little past dawn and went to the Chieftain's Tent to speak to Batzorig and his father one more time. The Celestrian addressed the new Chieftain in Training"Batzorig, I thought that a proper good-bye would suffice, since I don't know when I'll be able to visit here again."

"You're always welcome in Batsureg, Arianna. I will never forget you and your companions' courage" smiled Batzorig.

"How are Khoonbish and Larstastnaras?" inquired Sasha.

The new Chieftain replied"They are doing all right. Anyway, I wish you luck on your travels."

"Our prayers will be with you" spoke Batkhann.

"Thanks" smiled Raymond.

Arianna nodded, then she and her group departed Batsureg using the Zoom spell as soon as they were outside the village. The monsters of Newid Island proved to be nothing when encountered, as though they were little more then misquitos to the seasoned Adventurers. The majority of the monsters on Newid were smart to not bother engaging the heroes.

Sasha addressed Conrad"I thought the Ranger Vocation would suit you. So I had bought you a set of arrows and a bow before we left Gleeba."

Conrad was surprised when the Martial Artist handed him a bow and arrows wrapped in leather, the thief spoke"Thanks, but what a about you? Don't you need a different weapon for the Paladin Vocation?"

Sasha nodded"It is true that most weapons are not cross-compatible between Vocations, as is the case with spells. Don't worry about me, I got myself a basic lance, the lance is a preferred weapon among Paladins."

Conrad was surprised"Well, I guess I could ditch my dagger if I need to. Hey, Sash, you actually know anything about Swinedimples Academy?"

"I don't really know that much about it, other then it's founder Sir Sternivus Swinedimples. He built his school on Snowberia, the cheap land prices didn't hurt" replied the Martial Artist.

"Who's the lover boy now, Conrad?" remarked Trent from his station.

Conrad shook his head, pretending not to hear the Gladiator. Sasha was flabbergasted, but ignored the comment thrown at her and the Thief.

The rest of the trip to the Abbey was uneventful. Alltrades Abbey had changed little since the return of it's Abbott, the six approached the Abbott. who greeed them"Ah, welcome back. What can I do for you?"

The Martial Artist replied"I wish to change my Vocation."

Abbott Jack nodded and said"Very well, What trade have you decided to follow?"

"I wish to become a Paladin" replied Sasha.

Conrad addressed the Abbott"If you don't mind, I want to be a Ranger."

Abbott Jack nodded"Very well, close your eyes. Oh Almighty, please guide Conrad and Sasha as they tread towards new paths in life!"

A warm light enveloped the two. Conrad felt strength and speed coursing through his body, Sasha felt a tingle as she felt a sacred power rushing into her. As the warm glow faded, Conrad breathed"I feel stronger."

"Anyone else need to change their Vocation?" inquired the Abbott.

Arianna shook her head"No, we're fine".

"Then may the Almighty watch over you" said Abbott Jack.

Arianna and her group left the abbey once more, zoomed back to Batsureg, and headed south east towards Snowberria. Alicia sighed as they trekked through the swampy region"I don't mean to seem vain, but we should buy some new shoes at this rate. All this walking must be wearing them out."

"You're not kidding, but who are we to complain? A little mud never hurt anyone" smirked Raymond.

Upon their arrival at Snowberia, the group braced themselves for the sudden change of weather and scenery. The seemingly barren land was full of snow as far as the eye could see. Alicia was impressed"It's so prettty, I've never seen so much snow in my entire life."

"You've never seen snow before, either? I heard about it, but I never thought I'd see it up close. Well, let's get moving everyone" said the Celestrian.

As they trudged through the snowy wasteland, they were soon beset upon by a monster called the Tearwolf, and some bluish Shivery Shrubbery monsters. Trent drew his blade"Block our paths will you? We'll see about that!"

"Boom!" Raymond's spell wiped out most of their opponents. Trent challenged the Tearwolf, which turned out to be a formidable opponent with it's claws. Conrad seized the opprotunity to try out his new Vocation and shot an arrow at Tearwolf from the side. The monster howled, distracted long enough for Trent to stab it.

Alicia made sure her brother and Conrad weren't badly hurt. Arianna sighed"You know, Trent, challenging monsters on one's own can be suicidal."

"I know, but I want to improve myself" sighed the Gladiator.

"There is a fine line between pure recklessnes and valor, we were just about ready to charge in" sighed Alicia. The Martial Artist turned Paladin focused her energy as she'd seen the Priestess do, casting a small heal spell on Trent.

Alicia smiled"Looks like you're getting the hang of it."

Sasha flushed"Yeah, well, my magic isn't as good as yours. I only know how to cast a basic cure spell because I've seen you do it."

"Well, Paladins aren't as powerful as Priests, Sages or Gladiators in any specific area as I understand it" said the Celestrian.

The group pressed on, defeating two more Tearwolf monsters that dared to stand in their way. Trent sighed as he shealthed his sword after slaying another Tearwolf"Were there any monsters here before? I can't imagine a village, much less a school being built in remote locations like this."

"Probably not, the world's full of mysteries" replied Arianna.

The team marched deeper into the Snowberia wasteland while vigil for more monster attacks. The blizzard slowed their pace a little, but the heroes preservered. Upon taking a break to have lunch, which they made from some more vegetables and bread bought in Batsureg, Alicia sighed as she briefly layed in the snow"Snowberia is such a pretty place, cite the monster infestation."

"You're telling me" shrugged Raymond, biting into his sandwhich.

As they finished, Sasha spoke up"Swinedimples Academy has a policy about not allowing just anyone into the school grounds. We'll have to think of a way to get in without causing a commotion."

Arianna shrugged"That might be difficult. I'll try to think of something on our way there."

The heroes finished their lunch and started on their way again. Sasha counted the coins left in her bag"We're getting a bit tight on funds, again. Maybe we can find part-time jobs at the academy if we have the time."

They marched through the snow, until they arived at the gates of what looked like a training ground, the heroes couldn't see much past the gate. What caught Arianna's attention was an elderly man in purple and blue clothes, wearing a pair of glasses standing in front of the gate. The Celestrian addressed him"Excuse me, sir."

"Hm? Oh, welcome, I was waiting. Might you be the Inspector I hired?" inquired the old man.

Arianna was startled at the question"No, not really. My companions and I were merely passing through, is there a problem?"

The man seemed to persist"Ah, you can't fool me, I know an expert sleuth when I see one. Come on in, there is something I must talk to you and your eh, associates about in my office."

Arianna and her group followed the old man on to the square past the gate, which had shops near the entrance and a large building to the far north. To the east was another building, Sasha recognized the place from what her father told her when she was younger. They entered the northern-most building and headed to a small room to the south west.

The room had a rectangular desk and a few chairs inside. Sasha inquired"If you don't mind, sir, can you tell us your name?"

The old man started"Oh, pardon me, I am the Headmaster of Swinedimples academy. What might your names be?"

The violet haired warrior introduced herself and her companions"I'm Arianna. My companions are Trent, Conrad, Alicia, Raymond and Sasha, can we help you with something?"

The Headmaster replied"Yes, yes, I was just getting to that. In the past two days, two of the academy's students went missing. If this keeps up, the academy's reputation will be brought into question. That's where you come in, Arianna, you and your associates must find clues as to what happened to the missing kids."

"You can count on us, Headmaster, we'll do our best to find them, what do they look like?" inquired Sasha.

The Headmaster replied"I can't really say, but I am grateful for your help. If you find anything, be sure to report to me. I have a few spare Swinedimples Academy student uniforms in the dresser, the students won't tell an adult anything. But maybe they'll open up if they think you're fellow students."

Arianna nodded as she and her group were handed some red jackets with white shirts and ties. Trent spoke up"Can you provide us with an idea of where to start looking?"

The elderly man replied"No, but you can ask the students and staff regarding possible rumors. There are spare rooms at the Dorm south east of the main building, if you need to rest anytime during your investigation."

Arianna and her group left the Headmaster's office after putting on the red jackets. Trent sighed"That old man must be senile if he thinks we're an Inspection team."

"Careful what you say, Trent. Dad always told us to respect your elders, now let's gets moving" reprimanded Alicia.

The Celestrian spoke up"Okay, let's split up and meet at the Dormitory later. I sensed something supernatural at the grave east of the building for a second, but we need to gather information. Conrad, Sasha, you two are the eldest in our party, try to find some odd jobs if you want."

Trent nodded"Let's move!"

As the group split up, Arianna explored the west hallway of the academy's main building. As she exited after talking to one of the staff, she saw someone performing mustic in the western part of the courtyard. Curious, the Celestrian approached the source of the music. A man with dark blue hair was playing a harp, watching him was a woman no older then thirty six.

The music stopped as the man stood up. The two turned to see the younger woman standing there. The older girl, who had light brown hair, addressed Arianna"You heard us play, didn't you?"

"Yes, but I actually wanted to ask you about something. The Headmaster told me about the students who went missing, do you know anything about that?" inquired the younger woman.

The man shook his head"No, but we asked the Headmaster if we could help. He told us not to worry because he had hired an investigator, that's you isn't it?"

The Celestrian glanced around before replying"Not really, but I took on the mystery anyway. I'm Arianna, by the way. Do I know you?"

The blue haired man started before replying"Now that I have a good look on your face, you kind of look like someone I know. My name is Lester, my companion's name is Astrid, I am working and studying a bit at the academy as a musician during my search for my little sister, she's missing, too. Astrid is working here as a teacher, I'm studying under her."

"Really? I'm sorry to hear that" said Arianna.

Astrid smiled"Don't trouble yourself, Arianna. Anyway, if you go to the dormitory, there are some other students and a staff member you could ask about the missing students. One of the students is a rascal named Fred, try not to let him bother you too much when you meet him."

Arianna thanked the two, and towards the Dorm. As soon as she was out of earshot, Astrid addressed Lester"Didn't the young woman seem familiar to you?"

Lester frowned"Arianna's face was familiar, not many people looked a bit like her. What of your family?"

The woman sighed"I wonder about that, myself. Even if I return to my hometown, I don't know if they're alive."

The younger man pondered a bit before saying"I'm going to keep an eye on things during my patrol. I have to resume my rounds as a Prefect."

"My class starts in five minutes, see you later" said Susan.

* * *

><p>Arianna had entered the dormitory and went upstairs. When she got to one of the rooms, the Celestrian heard voices"Have you heard? Someone disappeared last night. W-what if it's a ghost?"<p>

"Don't be silly, there's no such thing as ghosts" scoffed another voice.

The Celestrian entered the room to find three teenage boys arguing with each other. She figured they were students, judging from their uniforms. The non-superstitious boy insisted"Come on, ghosts are just a bunch of baloney."

His other friend responded with a trace of fear"But that guy didn't show up at all, today. The rumors about the ghost has to be true."

The other boy shook his head, and the three exited the room. Arianna frowned'I'll just have to follow them, maybe they know something'. As she began to follow, Trent entered the room.

The Celestrian inquired"Did you find anything?"

"No, did you?" replied Trent.

Arianna shrugged"Well, I heard some Swinedimples students talking about a ghost. We should go find them and ask about the rumors."

"Okay" nodded the Gladiator.

The minute the two left, a ghostly figure materialized for a moment before vanishing, as though it were controlled by a powerful force. Arianna was too caught up to notice it's prescence.

* * *

><p>Outside, Raymond and Alicia had spoken with most of the students in the main building before returning outside. The priestess spoke with her boyfriend"Well, all we got so far are rumors. Should we regroup with the others?"<p>

"Nah, but look!" cried Raymond.

Alicia glimpsed a trio of boys hanging out west of the main building and frowned'From what we've learned about the school schedule, class is in session. What are these three doing?'

The Mage and the Priestess rushed over to where the boys were around the same time Trent and Arianna caught up. The non-superstitious boy addressed them"Who the heck are you? My name is Fred, are you here to report us for being tardy and skipping class?"

"No, that's not what I'm here to do. I'm investigating a series of disappearences in this academy, I happened to overhear you talk about a ghost. Do you know anything about that?" inquired the Warrior.

Fred scoffed"Ghosts don't exist. But I heard some rubbish about someone touching a statue on the head last night and being snatched up by a ghost."

"But it's true" insisted one of the other two boys.

Trent interjected"I don't care really who's right or not. I want to know more about this ghost rumor."

Fred sighed as another kid in his gang explained the possible reason for the disappearences of some of their fellow students. Arianna spoke as soon as he was finished"I would say that this would be beyond the understanding of a regular Inspector. Fred, I know this all sounds impossible, but do you have any suggestions?"

The boy replied, albiet skeptically"Well, the scaredy-cat to my right is convinced about that so-called ghost rumor. Tell you what: Let's meet up at the third floor by the statue tonight, we'll find out if the rumor is true or not. The tower is guarded by Prefects in the day."

"Fine by us" shrugged Trent.

The six looked around the academy some more until they met with a young girl glancing at a statue just ahead. Trent inquired"Is something wrong here?"

The girl sighed"I placed a yellow fruit on Sir Sternivus's grave yesterday, but when I came back it was gone."

"I see, thank you for the information" said Arianna.

The girl inquired"Are you a detective?"

The Celestrian replied"Not really, but we're helping the Headmaster with the mystery anyway. We'll find the missing kids."

"Good luck" smiled the girl.

Arianna and her group returned to the dormitory and headed to the empty room they borrowed. Trent took note of the grave, which bore the name of the academy's founder. The Celestrian spoke"Something tells me this will be quite a night, let's take a nap."

"Okay" nodded Alicia.

* * *

><p>As the sun set into the evening, Arianna, Trent, Alicia and Raymond woke up from taking a short nap and headed downstairs. Sasha stood in front of a Cafeteria staff member, recieving a small sum of money. Trent interjeced"Sasha, what's up? Where's Conrad?"<p>

The Paladin turned around after thanking the staff member"I asked if I could work here in the kitchen area of the Dorm building, and they let me. I recieved my pay just now, Conrad spent the rest of the day looking around for possible evil thieves or kidnappers lurking in the shadows that have to be stopped."

Trent spoke"We have to go to the third floor of the main building, there is some talk about a ghost that appears at night."

"We have a lead on this case, then? Let's go" said Sasha.

The five hurried towards the main building, Conrad was standing there watching. The male brunette spoke"So what's up? I've been waiting for an hour after scouring the grounds."

"A ghost is supposedly lurking at the third floor of the main school, come with us" whispered Arianna.

The group went upstairs in the main building, trekked up another set of stairs and found their way to the terrace where the statue supposedly is. Standing not too far away was Lester, Arianna was surprised"What are you doing here?"

"Believe it or not, I heard rumors of a ghost up here, you're a Celestrian aren't you?" smirked the older man.

Arianna's eyes widened'How does this man know my secret? My wings and halo are lost, so it shouldn't be possible to tell.'

Lester put a hand on her shoulder as though reading her mind"Don't sweat the details, let's just say that garment showing beneath your jacket is not from anywhere else. Besides... well, I have a secret of my own."

"I see, where's Astrid?" inquired the Celestrian.

"I'm right here" said the other woman, approaching.

"Hey, how did you all beat me here?" said another voice as Fred showed up.

"Well, the statue is here" said Arianna.

Lester frowned"Sure you want to do this? If the rumors are accurate, one of us will get taken."

Fred scoffed before walking up to the statue and touching it's forehead. A few seconds passed before Fred smirked"Told you so, there is no such thing as a ghost."

"I GOT YOOOOOU! You nooo gooood monster!" said a spookey voice, Arianna gasped as she saw a ghostly man appear and posess Fred. The boy was forced to jump from the roof, saying in a monotone"I am a no good monster, I am a disgrace to Swinedimples. I must learn my lesson."

"That has to be the founder of Swinedimples Academy, judging from where they're going" said Lester.

Arianna and her group rushed down from the tower after the posessed boy. They came to Sternivus's grave, which Fred was forced to shove aside. Trent paled as he saw where the 'ghost' took the boy"There he goes."

"We can still save him, let's move. If that 'ghost' which Arianna is Sir Sternivus Swinedimple, I don't think he'll do anything drastic. Still, we musn't take chances if we are to solve the mystery" said Sasha.

The staircase beneath the grave led to a dark, damp chamber. Sasha looked around, seeing cobwebs and abandoned rooms about the underground area. Trent inquired"How does it look?"

"It's the old school, apparently it was used during Sir Sternivus's lifetime before an improved version of the academy was built. My father told me about that" said the Paladin.

Just then, Lester and Astrid caught up. Astrid spoke"I never knew about all this."

Arianna inquired"Astrid, who are you really? This isn't in the teaching job discription, is it? I figured that you and Lester might want to stay out of it."

Astrid sighed"You got me, I'm not really a Professor. I'll explain later, but first we have a student to rescue, right?"

"Right" nodded Trent.

The group trudged deep into the Old School, a poison pond lay here and there near their path. Trent sighed"I don't like the looks of this creepy place."

"I don't either, but let's keep going" interjected Astrid.

The heroes and their two allies went even farther into the strange ruins, until they were beset upon by some Wight Priests, Raving Reapers and a Sootheslime. Raymond readied his magic"Boom!"

The resulting blast knocked down the Sootheslime and two Raving Reapers. Trent dodged a scythe as one of the remaining Raving Reapers slashed at him and thrusted his blade into it. The remaining monsters were eliminated by Arianna, Alicia and Conrad. Trent sighed as he put his sword away"Since when were there monsters in these parts?"

"I don't know, but we have to hurry and confront the ghost and save Fred" said Arianna.

The team verged deeper into the old school, until they came to a room on the bottomost floor. Arianna stopped just outside one of the old classrooms when she heard some voices coming from within. Trent glanced in the general direction of the door"Do you have a hunch?"

"Yes" said Arianna, striding towards the door.

Alicia piped up"Do you have a plan?"

The Celestrian turned around to address her companions"Yes, It sounds like Sternivus's ghost might be lurking in this room, my Celestrian intuition states that a Fygg might be responsible for it all. A little girl told me that she'd left a yellow fruit in front of Sternivus Swinedimple's grave. I'm going in to ask him about the Fygg and the missing kids, though somehow I don't think Sir Sternivus is in any condition to talk. If something bad happens, I will need backup."

"Then we'll wait just outside, what trouble could a ghost be? All you have to do is send him into the afterlife, right?" said Alicia.

Arianna shook her head"It may not be that simple, Celestrians normally help solve a spirit's problems so that the ghost can find peace. Lester, you wait with Astrid while the rest of us fight if the ghost turns out to be hostile due to the Fygg's influence."

"What's a Fygg?" inquired Astrid.

Trent interjected"It's a magic fruit that grants wishes to whoever eats it, but no one has had their wish granted the way they had in mind so far. Arianna, good luck, we'll be right behind you."

The Celestrian took a deep breath before striding into the room. The ghostly man standing in front of a blackboard in an abandoned classroom. In front of the man's spirit were at least four rows of desks. The ones sitting at random areas of them was much to Arianna's surprise, several kids were sitting in select chairs. Among them was Fred, who gasped"Arianna? Get away from here or you'll get stuck, too!"

"What do you mean?" said Arianna.

Fred sighed"The moment I got dragged in here, that old man has been 'teaching' me and the other kidnapped kids nonestop. We can't leave our desks, and he is not giving us any breaks."

Before the Celestrian could respond, the ghost of Sternivus Swinedimple addressed her"Hmph! You're late, is this what passes for Swinedimples Academy students nowadays? Well, why don't you take a seat?"

Arianna strode up to the ghost, stopping right in front"I'm afraid I cannot, I have some questions for you. However honorable your intentions might be, don't you think you're overdoing it?"

Sternivus's ghost seemed enraged as it enveloped into a bright glow, Arianna had to shield her eyes from that. When the glow subsided, she was met with an unpleasent sight, standing in the ghost's place was a horrific demon with a yellowish face and a red and yellow body. His nose and small wings were reddish, as well. The monster snarled"You dare talk back like that? You must know your place, now prepare for a painful lesson! Fear the Dreadmaster!"

The demon took up a wand in it's hand and cast a Crackle spell at the Celestrian. Arianna drew her own blade as she dodged, and charged at the monster. The Dreadmaster swung it's' tome, which Arianna dodged before striking back with a Double Slash. Three of the captive students closed their eyes while Fred watched with a mixture of awe and fear as the Celestrian and the Dreadmaster fought.

"SIZZLE!" a fireball hit the Dreadmaster square in the eyes, the annoyed demon threw a Zammle spell at the newcomer. The Mage Raymond had entered the fray with Alicia and Trent, the Gladiator thrust his blade at the massive monster while the Priestess healed her allies. The Dreadmaster cast another Zammle at the group.

"Multi-heal!" Alicia countered with her best healing spell while Raymond hit the demon with another fireball. An arrow struck the Dreadmaster straight on as Conrad and Sasha entered the battle, Trent slashed the monster, only for it to retaliate with Zammle. Alicia cast another Multi-Heal while Trent double slashed the Dreadmaster.

Conrad fired another arrow, which was promptly blocked with the tome. Alicia kept her allies on their feet while Raymond cast his spell and Trent and Arianna attacked the monster with their weapons. The infuriated demon cast Crackle, which was remedied with another Multi-Heal.

"The Semester's over for you, Sternivus!" said a voice as Lester and Astrid entered the room. The Dreadmaster indignantly cast Zammle, which Lester mysteriously blocked with a spell.

Trent slashed the Dreadmaster with a Double Slash before turning to the pair"It's too dangerous for you to get involed!"

"I am more then what I seem, just drag that thing down!" said the older man, throwing a Magic Barier spell on the heroes.

The Dreadmaster's eyes seemed to widen in surprise as Crackle was sudenly rendered ineffective and cast Zammle. Alicia cast another multi-heal on her allies while Raymond blasted the demon with Boom. Trent and Arianna got into a stance and launched a potent X-Strike at their adversary.

The Dreadmaster cast a final Zammle spell before suddenly being shot by another arrow from Conrad. Trent charged and ran the Dreadmaster through his his blade.

The monster began to wail upon recieving the fatal blow"Nooooo! W-what would become of Swinedimples Academy's reputation without me?"

A bright glow enveloped the room once again. The entire group, combatants and onlookers alike, shielded their eyes as the light shone until it began to dissipate. When it was over, Sternivus Swinedimple had reverted back into his ghostly form, while a familiar yellow fruit appeared in the middle of the room.

The spirit seemed confused as he looked around, dazed"What's happened here? What are you all doing here?"

"You've come to your senses? You were being controlled by the Fygg's power, and kept those students hostage" said Sasha.

Sternivus seemed shocked"Ah, yes, I really caused you all trouble. I wasn't all too aware of what was happening since I got ahold of that strange fruit."

Fred jeered"Well, you might have thought of that you dumb ghost!"

Sternivus spoke"I am truly sorry for all this, I was really conerned with the school's reputation and the way students were acting these days. I wanted to help you kids get your act together, but I seemed to have gone overboard. I can rest now, seeing that you all were shaping up to be really rough diamonds. Arianna, Trent, I commend you for coming to the aid of your fellow scholars."

"It was an honor to meet you, Sir Sternivus, even though you are dead" said Sasha.

The ghost smiled"Everyone, I am proud to see how intellegent you are. I bid you all good-bye, you're free to go."

As Sternivus faded into the afterlife, one of the captive children, a girl flushed"Did you hear that? He called us rough diamonds, we gotta work harder to be 'smooth diamonds'".

Fred, who is freed from Sternivus's ghost's spell with the other hostages, approached Arianna"I guess I should thank you for helping us."

"It was our job, all that detective work was just a small thing compared to my real profession" said the Celestrian.

Trent picked up the Fygg and handed it to Arianna"That's all there is to it, then".

Arianna nodded"We should see the kids back to the academy and let the headmaster know we saved them."

"Hey, has anyone seen Lester and Astrid? They just left" piped Conrad.

Arianna shrugged"I'm sure they are fellow adventurers, but anymore then six people would slow us down. Let's go."

The heroes escorted Fred and the other formerly missing kids back to the school before going to the Headmaster's office to report their findings after resting at the dorm. The old man was delighted to see them"How did the investigation go? Miss Astrid told me you found the missing students."

Arianna replied"Believe it or not, they were kidnapped. The culprit was the ghost of Sir Sternivus Swinedimple, the founder of the academy, as strange as this may sounds. He wanted to help out, but instead he was driven out of his mind, they were held in the underground Old School."

The Headmaster thought for a moment, then said"Hm, that certainly explains it all. I suppose that things had gotten a bit out of control under my headship, which could've caused Sir Sternivus to rise from his grave. From now on, I will guide the academy and it's students with a firmer hand. Thank you for your hard work."

Trent shrugged"Yeah, it was no problem. By the way, have you seen Lester and Astrid? I didn't appreciate that they left without saying good-bye."

The Headmaster replied"Ah, now that you mention it, they left you a note here. I will now pay you for solving the mystery, this academy is in your debt."

While Arianna put the coins the Headmaster paid her in her inventory bag, Trent read the note, which said:

'Forgive us for leaving so suddenly, but we have our own agenda as you have yours. Arianna, I believe our paths will cross again, there was much I wanted to tell you. But next time we meet, I'll talk to you about it, good luck on your travels-Lester'.

"So they left the academy?" wondered Alicia.

"Not quite" said a voice as Astrid entered the room, handing a letter of resignation to the Headmaster.

Trent addressed the woman"You know, I can't help but think I've known you for a very long time. It sounds wierd, I know, but I felt like we were a team at some point."

"If you say so, farewell my friends" said Astrid before leaving.

The Headmaster addressed Arianna"Are you leaving as well?"

"Yes, I must now go home" replied the Celestrian.

The Headmaster nodded"You are welcome to attend lessons with the younger pupils or help us out again anytime. Good-bye."

As Arianna and her group left the academy, they saw a silly sight. A pair of security guards were confronting another man"You have to leave now, the mystery has been solved."

"W-what's the meaning of this? I was called by the headmaster!" proested the man as he was thrown out.

"I feel bad for him, we could've worked together if we waited until he showed up. That man must have been the real Inspector" frowned Sasha.

Trent shook his head"Maybe we should just zoom out of here."

"Let's just go back to the ship" said Arianna.

A better part of the morning was spent returning to the Pride of Bloomingdale. Trent caught sight of another, smaller vessel treading the sea towards an unknown destination. Arianna put a hand on his shoulder"Is something bothering you?"

The Gladiator shrugged"Not really, but Lester seemed to know you."

"I will report this to Apus Major, I suspected that he was no common mortal" said Arianna.

The group sailed all the way to Newid Island, thoughts of the mysterious pair hung in Trent and Arianna's minds until they returned to where their search for the Fyggs began. Trent addressed the Celestrian"If it's no trouble, Arianna. Alicia, Raymond and I will need transport back to Stornway. Are you heading back to the Observatory?"

"Yes, and what about Conrad and Sasha?" inquired the Celestrian.

"We'll sail the seas and probably go to Stornway to pick up supplies while we're at it" said Conrad.

Arianna nodded, then she and three of her teammates headed to the blue tree to where the Starflight Express just docked and was waiting for them. The mystery at Swinedimples Academy was solved, and all seven Fyggs were recovered. But unknown to any of the heroes, a greater battle for the fate of their world was soon to begin.

* * *

><p>Finally got this chapter up and ready to go. I know I've been doing a few cliffhangers here and there, but I might stop doing that at some point. The two new OCs will be further explained in another chapter, just not the next one or possibly the one after that. Oh, and forgive me if my grammer slipped, I just thought the ghost's words should be a bit spooky.<p>

I may have exaggerated in my author notes, but I just thought the Dreadmaster and Larstastnaras were two of the ugliest bosses in Sentinels of the Starry Skies, not that I let characer appearences bother me when I played through. I don't get nightmares very easily, I just hope I didn't offend anyone. If I did, I apologize.

If I wasn't clear enough, those two OCs will just be guest/minor characters. I will introduce another past Dragon Quest game character sometime, but they'll only be starred temporarily. Lester and Astrid will only be temporarily starred in a couple chapters as well, anymore then six permenant characters is a bad idea. There are only twelve Vocations after all, though I guess Erinn, Patty, Sellma and Aquila's addition post-game would sound hypocritical on my part.

Please feel free to review.


	19. The Secret of Wormwood Creek

Mike AZ 2 here, I'll be switching between characters a bit in this chapter. You might already know the drill, but thoughts are ', " represents spoken dialogue, while _ indicates a switch in point of view or lapse in time.

This chapter is mostly talking, and it's going to get a little sad. Maybe I should change one of the genres.

Disclaimer: The Dragon Quest series is developed by Squaresoft Enix.

* * *

><p>Chapter XVIII:The Secret of Wormwood Creek<p>

Sasha and Conrad bade farewell to their comrades before boarding the Pride of Bloomingdale once more. The Ranger turned to his companion"Hey, Sasha. Would you mind seeing your dad again? I reckon it's been a while since we saw the old guy."

The Paladin thought for a moment before shaking her head"I think he'll understand if I don't come back to Porth Lleffan for a while longer. Besides, something tells me we have not yet found out what was the cause of the mysteryious earthquake from some time ago. Earthquakes aren't common, it's as though some powerful force had struck."

"Then what should our destination be? Straight to Stornway?" inquired Conrad.

Sasha nodded"Yes, and fortunately, we don't need everyone else's help to pilot the ship. Conrad, take the helm, I'll keep an eye on our surroundings."

Conrad took the helm and the two sailed in the direction of Stornway. The Ranger sighed as he piloted the Pride of Bloomingdale"Think we'll see everyone else again? Assuming your hunch is correct, of course."

The Paladin sighed"I only hope my intuition proves wrong. I don't know if Arianna will be allowed to return, but Trent, Raymond and Alicia should be back in Stornway soon."

* * *

><p>Arianna, Trent, Raymond and Alicia boarded the Starflight Express and were ready to make for the Observatory. Stella nodded as the Celestrian informed the tiny fairy of their destination"Okay, then. Let's head on back to the Observatory!"<p>

As the Starflight Express began to fly upward, Trent addressed Arianna"It's been quite the adventure, huh?"

"Yes, I could not have recovered the Fyggs without you. Trent, remember when you said you liked me?" inquired the Celestrian.

Trent nodded"Yes, what about it?"

Arianna replied"I will now tell you what I think. You'll always be my friend, even if I cannot visit Stornway very often once I resume my duties at Angel Falls. In fact, someday I may travel to the Realm of the Almighty."

"What will happen there?" inquired the Gladiator.

"I don't know, only that the Starflight Express was believed to be the means for my people to reach salvation. Whether or not we can still see visit each other, I hope you never forget me" said Arianna.

"I'll never forget our adventures" smiled Trent.

Arianna and her group relaxed in the Starflight Express, until a familiar sight to the Celestrian's eyes met them. The door at the front left side of the Starflight Express opened, and a bald headed man with wings and halo in clothes similar to Arianna's Celestrian attire entered the train.

The younger Celestrian greeted him"Master Aquila."

"Huh? How come I can't see him, I know that the train's door couldn't have opened on it's own" frowned Trent.

Alicia sighed"I don't know, but now it seems we're in the prescence of the old Guardian of Angel Falls. Arianna's words cannot be false, even though we cannot see the guardian."

Aquila seemed to almost ignore the mortals accompanying his apprentice as he spoke"You recovered the Seven sacred Fyggs, then?"

"Yes, Master" said Arianna, removing the Fyggs from her bag to show them to the older Celestrian.

Aquila spoke"You did well, I can see that you have even teamed up with some of the Protectorate's Adventurers. Arianna, I must now request that you turn the Fyggs over to me."

The younger Celestrian respectfully handed the seven fruits to her teacher, who then said"Your mission is over, then. I cannot expect you to understand if I do this, but it must be done."

Arianna's eyes widened as Aquila brandished his sword upon depositing the Fyggs into his pocket. Trent was shocked as he heard the sound of a sword being drawn, Alicia could see that he was driven by something. The younger Celestrian exclaimed"Master? What are you doing?"

"I cannot expect you to understand, nor can I expect you to forgive me" replied Aquila.

The female Warrior considered her options'I don't understand what's going on, but if he will not tell me and is going to attack, I must do something. But what? Apprentice Celestrians can't act against Superior Celestrians, I must grin and bear it, not to mention hope Trent doesn't try anything. Master Aquila is a Master Swordsman, my companions won't be able to defeat him'.

Aquila nodded"I understand your hesitance to act, you cannot defeat me because Celestrians are unable to act against a superior. An unknown forces stops you in your tracks if you try to draw your blade against a higher ranked Celestrian."

The younger Celestrian bit down on her tongue to keep from saying something she will regret, instead she attempted to cast a spell, only to become frozen in place. The elder man brought his sword downward, only to be intercepted by Trent"How about picking on something that can fight back?"

Aquila knocked the Gladiator back, Raymond cast a spell at the unseen target. The senior Celestrian dodged before charging forward and knocking the Mage back. Trent scowled"How can this be?"

"It's foolish to attack something you cannot see, but I commend your efforts. Fear not, I will not kill any of you, but this I must do!" Aquila cast a spell which blasted Alicia out of the opening of a second door, sending the Priestess falling into the ocean.

"Alicia!" Raymond jumped into the ocean after her, leaving Trent and Arianna to fend for themselves. Arianna stood in front of Trent to defend her companion, only to be struck by Aquila's blade. The blow left the younger Celestrian on her back in pain, the Gladiator stood up one more time.

Aquila slashed horizontally at Trent, knocking him down before the Gladiator could raise his sword to defend himself, despite the impossible odds. As the older Celestrian took off with the Fyggs, Trent glimsped a black and yellow dragon flying nearby just before Arianna fell backwards from the dragon's attack.

Trent rushed to try to save Arianna, only to be knocked out of the train by another blast. The two heroes fell from the Express, while Aquila spoke with a bird-like being on the back of the black dragon. Stella, who had been watching, flew down to find Trent and Arianna, only to find the younger Celestrian injured. Trent had gotten a scrape on his knee as he landed.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Conrad and Sasha docked at a beach north of Stornway and were on their way to the castle town. Conrad stopped as he saw two familiar figures approaching the town slowly. Sasha rushed over to them, astonished by what she saw. It was Alicia and Raymond, their clothes were dripping wet.<p>

"What happened?" inquired Sasha.

Alicia sighed"We were attacked, the Starflight Express was assaulted on the way to the Observatory. I don't know what happened to Trent and Arianna, but somehow we managed to swim back here after I fell from the train, it's as though shadows from the past are encroaching upon the world."

"Let's get back to the inn" said Conrad.

The four returned to the Castle Town and went to the Quester's Rest. Erinn was surprised as she saw them"Did something happen? Where are Trent and Arianna?"

"We got separated, now we need a room for tonight" sighed Raymond.

Erinn was surprised"I see, I pray they'll be safe as well. I'll have fresh outfits delivered to your room for you, your clothes look awfully wet."

Alicia and Raymond thanked the innkeeper before heading upstairs. Conrad addressed Sasha"While we're waiting, what do you think about checking on our guests in the suites upstairs?"

"That's fine with me, it's best to do nothing until we can ready ourselves for departure once more" replied the Paladin.

The two went to the elevator leading to the suites and went in. They were in for a surprise as they entered the hallway of the upper floors of the inn, three people were conversing in one of the rooms when Conrad and Sasha entered it. One of the three was a blond young woman"Ah, I had forseen this day. Where is Arianna? I desired to speak with her" spoke the figure.

Sasha replied"I do not know, but they were ambushed by mysterious forces."

The woman frowned"I see, well, there is not much to be done at present but pray for their safety. My name is Milly, I am a fortune teller."

Another young woman with reddish hair and a man with silver addressed the two"I'm Jessica Albert, and this is Angelo. We came to this realm through what the entity that brought up here called a Rapportal."

The Ranger responded"Nice to meet your aquaintance, I am Conrad, my companion here is Sasha. We heard a little bit about Rapportals, is there anything else to know about them?"

Milly replied"The mysterious portals are forbidden to some extent, yet the Celestrian who calls herself Pavo dares to open them. That is all I know."

"Do you know something about the mysterious forces that Sasha and Alicia sensed?" inquired Conrad.

The blond Fortune Teller replied"Even I cannot sense everything, but a shadow from this world's past has indeed resurfaced. I don't know the cause, we are not supposed to interfere with each other too much. Rapportals can be dangerous if misued, according to what Pavo said."

"How can you see a Celestrian if you're just a mortal?" inquired Sasha.

Milly replied"Let's not trouble ourselves too much, just know that I heard her speak through a portal once and was invited to this inn."

Conrad and Sasha glanced at each other, surprised to hear even more about the Rapportals.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, Trent had carried Arianna to a nearby village when the Celestrian collapsed from her injuries. It wasn't long however before fatigue started catching up with the swordsman, shortly upon Arianna's collapse. Just before Trent collapsed, he'd heard a voice coming from the village.<p>

A few hours passed before the young Celestrian woke up to find herself inside a house in someone's bed. Beside her was a dark haired young man, Trent was standing next to the bedroom door. The man addressed Arianna"Are you awake?"

"Yes, but where am I?" gasped the Celestrian.

The young man replied"You're in Wormwood Creek, the villagers here are not very friendly to outsiders. My name is Wallace, by the way."

Arianna responded"I'm Arianna, my companion's name is Trent. Thank you for helping us."

"It was no problem, two people helped me bring the two of you to my house to recover. They'd left shortly afterwards though" sighed Wallace.

"Is Wormwood Creek truly so inhospitable?" frowned Trent.

Wallace paled"Yeah, my uncle dosen't like outsiders, everyone is afraid of the dark dragon, which they saw earlier."

Arianna stood up"Well, if you don't mind, Trent and I are going to check things out and get our bearings."

"Okay, but my uncle wanted a word with you two at the church as soon as you recovered" frowned Wallace.

"We'll keep that in mind" said the swordsman.

As Trent and Arianna left, Stella caught up to the pair"About time you're a awake, was that bald guy really your teacher, Arianna? He sure didn't set a flapping good example if he was."

Arianna sighed"I wonder about that, myself. For now, let's go see what the mayor of this vilage wants."

Trent, Arianna, Wallace and Stella headed from the house to the church, ignoring the looks of fear and suspicion in the eyes of the villagers they happened to pass by. When the group entered the chapel, they were greeted by more villagers. Among them was an older man who looked similar to Wallace. Trent addressed him"Greetings, mayor, what can we do for you?"

The older man replied gruffly"I am Mayor Stan Doffish of Wormwood Creek, outsiders aren't welcome here. I can't say I approve of my nephew, Wally's actions with you, some of the townsfolk say that they saw a massive black dragon earlier."

"We happened to run into that same monster, sir" piped Trent.

Mayor Doffish raised his eyebrows"Truly? I don't suppose you expect me to believe you ran into that beast and survived, do you?"

Arianna interjected"I know it's tough to believe, but I only speak the truth. Mayor, Trent and I will try to find a way to defeat the dragon, I am not asking for your belief. I only ask that you trust us."

The mayor sighed"This is all too far-fetched, we'll have to assume you're in league with it."

"What? You lousy, biased scumbag-"

"Trent, that's enough. If mere words cannot sway Mayor Stan, we must show him some action" said Arianna, cutting off the Gladiator's rant.

Mayor Stan Doffish shook his head"I'm going to ask you to leave the village as soon as you can, regardless if you're affiliated with that monstrosity or not."

"Uncle!" griped Wallace.

The mayor raised a hand to silence his nephew"I couldn't have been more disappointed with you, Wally. My decision is final!"

Trent and Arianna left the chapel, thoughts of the monster that now threatened the Protectorate hung in their minds. Wallace caught up with the two"So now what?"

Arianna replied"I appreciate you trying to intervene on our behalf, Wallace. Trent and I will go head northward, there is much of this area that I need to explore."

The pair bade Wallace a solem farewell before heading northward, out of the village. Trent sighed as he addressed the Celestrian"Sorry I lost my cool back there."

"Don't worry about it, we have bigger things to worry about as of now. We cannot wait for the others to find us, we have to find a way to save the world from the Black Dragon" replied Arianna.

As the two of them traveled, they reached the entrance to a secret cavern. In the cave, Arianna caught sight of another familiar figure. It was the ghost of a young woman with blond hair and a cloak she'd seen in Dourbridge. Seeing the newcomers, the ghost inquired"You're really a Celestrian, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am Arianna. I saw you in Dourbridge" replied the Celestrian.

The spirit woman was surprised"I see, then can you do me a favor? I'm looking for someone, but can't quite remember who. There is a treasure I left in Wormwood Creek when I was alive called the Serene Beeds near the statue of the guardian."

"What is the guardian's name?" inquired Arianna.

"His name was Corvus, but that's all I really remember" sighed the woman.

Trent and Arianna headed back towards Wormwood Creek. Trent addressed his companion"Did you know Corvus if he was a guardian?"

The Celestrian shook her head slightly"I do not know much about Corvus, either. I only know that he mysteriously disappeared, my people called his tale the Tragedy of Corvus. Columbus and Master Aquila knew him the most, but even they know nothing about the Guardian of Wormwood Creek's fate."

* * *

><p>Back in Stornway, Alicia and Raymond changed into dry outfits before going to the suites where Conrad and Sasha had gone to meet the newest guests. When they entered the suite, Alicia heard a voice talking"The Rapportals may be forbidden, but they are the only key linking this world to others."<p>

"I still don't understand, Milly" frowned Conrad.

The white haired Templar shrugged"Ah, let's not get too bummed out about all this. This inn isn't half bad, the girl downstairs, Patty was it? She's kinda hot."

"Are we interrupting something?" interjected Alicia.

The blond Fortune Teller addressed the Priestess"Not at all, we were just visiting and getting to know each other. I am Milly, my companions are Jessica and Angelo."

Angelo grinned at Alicia as she introduced herself"Hey, you're looking good. I guess I lucked out since the inn has some fine ladies working here."

"Pig, you're the worst" sighed Jessica, glaring at Angelo.

The Priestess interjected"It is not too much trouble, I see that you met two of our companions. Two more of our group are missing, but that's a personal problem. How is your stay at the Quester's Rest so far?"

Jessica replied"It's a fine inn, a far cry from the one in my hometown in fact. If Pavo had not invited me, and if Erinn's anonymous part-time employee hadn't asked her to help, we might not have known about the famous Quester's Rest Inn. Do you mean to say she's missing?"

Conrad shrugged"Well, kinda, but Arianna could be fine. She and Trent are probably out somewhere."

Sasha interjected"Not to be impatient or anything, but we should really get going, soon. I intend to investigate the cause of the strange earthquake that happened some time ago, quakes rarely ever happen in this world."

"Sounds like your world is in a crises, anything we can do to help?" inquired the Templar.

Raymond replied"No, it wouldn't be right to involve guests into dangerous situations. I doubt that you can render too much aid without crossing the line any more then you have."

Milly nodded"That is true, we can only do so much. Raymond, Alicia, Conrad, Sasha, what do you plan to do from here?"

"We'll spend more time recovering and look for our comrades some other time" replied the male Mage.

* * *

><p>Trent and Arianna returned to Wormwood Creek to find a busted statue, Wallace was standing nearby when he saw them"Hey, what's up?"<p>

"We heard about a mythical necklace hiddin in your village" replied Arianna.

Wallace was astonished"You know about the legends of Wyrmwood? The statue supposedly looked like a mysterious otherworldly being. It was broken, the peopple didn't want to remember anything about the statue."

Trent spotted a sparkling objected near the foot of the statue and grabbed it"Thanks for the info, is there anything else you can tell us? There's another town on this continent, right?"

Wallace replied"Yeah, but the bridge is out. You need a special treasure to access it, it is supposedly called the Wyrmlight Bow. Not much is known about it, really."

"We'll keep an eye out for it, is there any idea where the Wyrmlight Bow is hidden?" inquired the Celestrian.

"No one really knows, but north west of here is a sealed cave called the Bowhole" sighed Wallace.

Trent and Arianna thanked Wallace one more time before heading back to the grotto where the ghost waited. Upon seeing the Serene Beads presented to her, the ghost was surprsied"Wait a minute, I remember everything now. The man I am searching for is indeed Corvus, the Guardian of Wormwood Creek."

"What more can you tell us about him? Are you acquaintances?" inquired Arianna.

The ghost woman's eyes filled with sorrow are she replied"Yes, my name was Serena. It's a sad story, but I first met my old village's guardian three centuries ago."

"What is the story?" asked Trent, who couldn't see the ghost.

Serena replied"Corvus had first turned up in the village long ago. He had fallen from the sky, I took care of Corvus until he woke. Ever since that day, I had fallen for him."

"What happened after that?" frowned Arianna.

Serena continued"He had defended me and the village from a group of soldiers from the Gittish Empire, a Gittish General had demanded the I marry him. Though Corvus defeated most of the soldiers, the general retreated, that was when something went wrong. Corvus wanted to defeat the empire to protect me and my village, but my father grew very worried and sent me and Corvus to a cave with a potion that I didn't know was special sleeping medicine."

* * *

><p>Flashback<p>

_Three hundred years in the past, the young Celestrian Corvus held off a group of imperial soldiers from the Gittish Empire. During his stay in Wormwood Creek, Corvus met a young woman called Serena, who had cared for him when he woke in her house after he'd fell from the sky._

_Not long after defeating some Gittish Soldiers which harassed Serena and the villagers. The Gittish General at the time demanded that he'd marry Serena before he left, but was thwarted by Corvus's magic._

_Shortly after the Gittish General fled, Corvus was determined to protect Wormwood Creek from another imperial invasion. Serena, however, was concerned that her village's guardian may not be able to withstand a full scale attack by the evil Gittish Empire._

_Serena's father addressed his daughter"Here, take this medicine with you, his wounds are not yet fully healed. Go to the nearby cave and wait."_

_Trusting the man's words, Corvus and Serena ran to a cave. Serena addressed her friend, proffering the medicine"Here, take this, maybe it will help you heal."_

_Corvus nodded, taking the potion from Serena and drank it. unbeknownst to the two, it was really a special sleeping potion. The moment the Guardian of Wormwood Creek drank the cool liquid, he collapsed onto the ground, unconcious._

_"Heh, looks like things worked out for us" sneered a voice as another group of Gittish Soldiers entered the cave with Serena's father and the Gittish general._

_"F-father? Why are you doing this? How could you trade in our guardian?" gasped Serena._

_"Forgive me, but this is for the best" sighed the man._

_Serena was shocked as she watched Corvus being snared by the empire and rushed at the soldiers. The general who had thought to marry Serena stabbed her._

_Serena's dying moments were as follows as she blacked out'I am sorry, everyone. Corvus, even if I die, I promise that I'll find you'._

_Flashback Ends_

* * *

><p>Trent stood in surprise and shock as Serena concluded her tale. Arianna solemly spoke"That's terrible, but I think he could still be alive."<p>

Serena nodded"Yes, but I am having no luck finding Corvus so far. I have to tell Corvus what really happened that day."

Trent turned towards the exit of the cave"Well, that bit of history was interesting, but we have to head for the Bowhole now."

"The Bowhole? It's sealed by a spell used by my people, I can break the seal if you let me come with you" interjected Serena.

"Gladly, now let's hurry on. The sooner we can move, the better" sighed The Celestrian.

The four began the long trek north west, Trent and Arianna kept on their guard in case monsters tried to attack them. A few hours passed when they came to a cave, Trent and Arianna entered to find a barrier blocking the way. Serena spoke"I can open the seal, you can proceed from there."

"Thank you, I hope you find him" replied Arianna.

Serena nodded before casting a spell at a nearby wall, which parted as though it were entirely made of magic. Trent gasped"Amazing."

The pair bade farewell to Serena as they entered the Bowhole, it was a large cavern with pathways surrounded by water. Trent sighed"So where do you think we can find the Wyrmlight Bow?"

"It's probably at the lowest level of this place" sighed Arianna as they walked. They treaded three floors down until they came accross a metallic slime and a Python Priest.

"It's a Liquid Metal Slime, no one has ever been able to slay one!" gasped Trent.

Arianna nodded"I'll try to get him while you deal with Python Priest."

The Liquid Metal Slime tossed a fireball before rushing around like a speedy ant. Trent brought his sword down on Python Priest while Arianna chased the metal monster. Eventually, the Celestrian brought it down with a lucky Metal Slash. Trent sighed as he shealthed his own blade"That was luck."

"Yeah, I needed a litte luck myself. Now let's get going and find the Wyrmlight Bow" said Arianna.

Four floors later, the two found their way to what looked like a dead end. A pedestal stood which read: '_The path of light in this arrow is sealed, _ _Cradled here 'til a chosen one be revealed. _ _Let fly this bolt o'er the Wyrmward wide, _ _As the way unfolds, boldly onward stride'._

Curious to see a strange statue on top of the pedestal, Trent prodded it with his sword. A voice rang out"So, you've come for the Wyrmlight Bow, have you?"

"Who is that?" cried Trent as a blue and yellow dragon-like monster appeared from the statue.

The Creature snarled as it brandished a large club"I am Gadrongo! Now, I must test your strength in battle."

"Don't get cocky on me, Falcon Slash!"

Trent's blow reflected off it's shield. Arianna slashed at Gadrongo with Dragon Slash, only to be countered by a smash attack from the monster's club. Trent stabbed Gadrongo, only to be nearly burnt by a fire breath. Arianna healed herself and her ally while Trent hit Gadrongo with Dragon Slash, which it blocked with it's shield before throwing another fire breath.

"Wait a minute. Trent, I know how to defeat this guy, follow my pattern and strike the monster with an attack of your own" insrtucted Arianna.

"You got it" nodded the Gladiator.

"Ha! Useless! You're no match for me!" growled Gadrongo, throwing another fire breath at the pair.

Arianna ducked under the searing flame before slashing upward, giving Trent the opprotunity to strike at Gadrongo's unprotected body. The monster staggered back before clumsily swinging it's weapon at Trent, who cut the club in half before attacking with another Dragon Slash. Gadrongo countered with an Ice breath before being slashed from the side by the Celestrian.

"You annoy me" growled Gadrongo, throwing another firey breath at Trent and Arianna. The Celestrian jumped over the flame and swung her sword down, which is met by Gadrongo's shield before it was stabbed by Trent. Arianna kicked of the monster's shield as it reared back in pain.

Desparate, Gadrongo reared back for a final fire breath attack. Trent and Arianna both performed a Dragon Slash before the Celestrian powered up farther to unleash her final technique: A golden wave of raw magical energy which spewed from Arianna's blade as she swung horizontally. The magical energy was so potent, that it slammed Gadrongo into the wall. Trent put it out of it's misery with a blow to the neck.

Defeated, the monster's soul seeped back into the statue as the body of Gadrongo faded. In it's place, a golden bow and an arrow appeared out of nowhere, Trent stood forward to claim his and Arianna's prize.

"That should be it, the legendary Wyrmlight Bow" smiled the Gladiator.

Arianna nodded"Let's zoom on out and head for a dead end west of Wormwood Creek."

* * *

><p>It was later in the evening when Alicia and her group retired for the night. Raymond spoke"Are you worried about your brother?"<p>

The Priestess sighed"A little, but something tells me he's okay. I said a little prayer for him and Arianna to the Almighty, still I am concerned."

Raymond smiled as he approached Alicia, kissing her a bit on the forehead"Everything's going to be fine."

"I hope you're right" sighed the Priestess.

Conrad and Sasha were resting nearby, the Paladin spoke"Sometime tomorrow we should try to find Trent and Arianna."

"Yeah, this whole mess is getting to me as well" sighed the Ranger.

"Well, good night. We'll decide what to do tomorrow" said Sasha.

Raymond, who was watching nearb, said"Hey, do you think our guests will still want to help?"

Sasha shook her head"We don't know, but it's better not to get them too involved in whatever is happening out there."

"Well, good night everyone" said Raymond.

The four dozed off, preparing for whatever they might soon encounter.

* * *

><p>Earlier that afternoon, Trent and Arianna had retireved the legendary Wyrmlight Bow and were headed for the dead end where there ought to have been a bridge. Arianna took the Wyrmlight Bow, aimed it at the opposite pit and fired. Before the pair's eyes, a magic bridge flowed out from where the arrow was shot as the magic item vanished.<p>

Not too far, Wallace and another villager from Wormwood Creek rushed to tell the mayor, who accompanied them to Trent and Arianna's location with a few more villagers. The mayor was astonished"Hey, did you do this?"

"Yes, the ancient legend we uncovered was true, mayor" replied Arianna.

Wallace grinned"Well, the way to Upover is open now."

The mayor sighed"Well, the famed Hero of the Heavens is said to reside somewhere in Upover, maybe you can defeat the Black Dragon after all."

"What's Upover?" inquired Trent.

"It's a town to the west of here" responded Wallace.

"Mayor, we appreciae your support" said Arianna.

Mayor Stan shook his head"Not at all, I should be thanking you, and I apologize for my behavior earlier. My people and I were so caught up in hating outsiders after that incident years ago, we were blind to the rest of the world."

Trent sighed"You know, I'm getting a bit tired. Would it be all right if Arianna and I spend the night at your village's inn before crossing to Upover?"

"Not at all, you may stay the first night free at our inn as a sign of our apology. I wish you good luck on your quest" said Mayor Stan.

As the mayor and his ilk walked back to the village, Trent and Arianna went on ahead with a Zoom Spell. The sun was beginning to set as they arrived at the inn and spoke to the Innkeeper. The Innkeeper spoke"We heard from the Mayor, our town will do it's best from now on to get along with everyone, especially foreigners."

"We didn't do a thing, but we welcome everyone's change of heart" smiled Arianna.

The pair bought a small pasta dinner and ate before retiring to the room for the night. Trent sighed"So what were we talking about when we spoke of our feelings?"

"We should take our words back, we got backstabbed after all. I do not understand Master Aquila's reasons for doing what he did, I will report this to Apus Major when next I can return to the Observatory" frowned Arianna.

Trent sighed"I wonder about all that myself, but do you reckon there is some connection to the attack and Corvus's disappearence?"

Arianna responded as she relaxed in her bed"Maybe, but that might not even be the case. I will ask Aquila if we run into him again, but Apus Major needs to know what he did. Even if we can recieve the aid of the ancient hero which we just heard of, this evil we're up against may not be so easy to defeat."

"True, we'd have to go back for the others. But, no sweat, right? Nothing can stand in our way" smirked Trent.

"We'll see, now let's try to get some sleep" sighed Arianna.

The Gladiator gazed at the Celestrian as she lay in her bed. Trent smiled before sleeping in his own bed, the two drifted off as they made ready for the trip to Upover.

* * *

><p>Not my best chapter, I'll admit that, but it is one of the longest. Oh, and I think I owe some explanations to those of you not in the know. At the later areasstory arcs of DQIX, it's not a smart move to use a party of less then three or four characters, not that I ever tried that in an actual playthrough. I probably could've used a different chapter title, that that was the best I could do.

I know I added more past DQ game characters then planned, but I just thought to add them in for the heck of it. Oh, and I hope I didn't make Aquila OOC. As for the flashback, sorry if that part was a bit too quick. I'm not very good with flashbacks. The guest characters will only be around for the next chapter or the one after. My other two OCs will come into play eventually, they're not permanant anyway.

Please feel free to review.


	20. The Living Legend of Upover

Another chapter coming right up. I'm more then half-way through the main story portion and have yet to make up my mind on whether to add some of the post-storyline events, not that I'm complaining.

Dislaimer: The Dragon Quest series is created by Square Enix.

* * *

><p>Chapter XIX: The Living Legend of Upover<p>

The two heroes woke the following morning and bought some fruits and vegetables from one of the shops in Wormwood Creek to use for another salad for breakfast. When they were finished, Trent and Arianna checked on their supplies before paying their respect to Mayor Stan and Wallace. The mayor and his nephew bade them good luck on their quest.

As Trent and Arianna left Wormwood Creek and began the long jourrney west, Trent couldn't help but check his wallet"I'm just about out of coins, what about you?"

"I have a little bit left myself, it'll hold us until we arrive at Upover. By the way, are you worried for your sister? She fell from the Starflight Express, after all" sighed Arianna.

"She could be fine, I saw Raymond jump after her. Is the Starflight Express okay?" inquired the Gladiator.

The Warrior shrugged"The Starflight Express is no ordinairy train, I imagine that it's gone to a stop somewhere nearby,"

Stella, who accompanied them, sighed"Still, that was one flapping mess we got ourselves into. No thanks to that jerk!"

The heroes and their fairy companion trudged along for what felt like hours, but was really for fifty minutes. Trent occasionally surveyed the sun and sky to guage what time it was. Stella and Arianna payed no mind to the Gladiator's habbit, but Stella had to say even though Trent couldn't see her"Why do you keep looking at the sky? You gone flapping crazy or something?"

"Stella, you're such a child at times, you know that?" remarked Arianna.

"Whatever, let's just move on until we get to Upover" sighed the fairy.

* * *

><p>That same morning as Trent and Arianna were on thier way to Upover, Alicia and her group got up and had breakfast at the parlor next to the Inn's lobby. Milly, Jessica and Angelo joined them before long as they began to converse some more. The blond Fortune Teller spoke"I presume you all had a good rest?"<p>

"Yep, how is your stay?" inquired Raymond around a bit of a sandwhich.

Jessica replied after consuming a mouthful of some soup she had bought"It was pleasent, but Milly just recieved a premonition last night, I was in the same room as her to get away from Angelo. That silly Templar is such an embarrasment at times."

"What sort of premonition?" whispered Alicia, eyes widening.

Milly sighed"Nothing you need to trifle yourself over. You wish to find your companions and defeat the dark forces encroaching onto this world, do you not?"

Conrad shrugged"I always thought fortune telling was a load of junk. Alicia, do you have a plan? You're the brains now that Arianna is missing."

The Priestess replied as she finished her portion of their breakfast"We will use the Pride of Bloomingdale to look for Trent and Arianna, they will need our help."

"Indeed, but what are the dark forces that Milly spoke of?" frowned Sasha.

"My fortune telling is not that accurate here, but I know that it may be a shadow of the past" interjected Milly.

As soon as they were done, Alicia, Raymond, Conrad and Sasha stood up. Angelo interjected"You're leaving now?"

"Yes, it was nice to meet you three" replied Alicia.

"Well, I was getting pretty bored in my room in this Inn, we can help you out a little" spoke Jessica.

Alicia was astonished"You sure?"

Angelo shrugged"Well, I've been meaning to get a bit of fresh air myself. What about you, Milly? Care to join us?"

Milly hesitated, then said"Very well, let's go. Alicia, do you know what our destination is?"

The Priestess shrugged"Not really, but I'm thinking we should sail east."

Jessica stood up along with the others"I'm starting to get cabin fever from staying in my room for two or three days. If you guys don't mind, will you escort me?"

"Not at all, we'll do it. Besides, Erinn would probably let us have it if something happened to one of her inn's guests" shrugged Conrad.

"We'll try to stay out of it if you get into a battle, but we'll jump in if needed" spoke Milly.

Alicia's group and their guests went out to the main lobby, Jessica paid Erinn"I might be staying one or two more nights when I get back, I just need some fresh air."

Erinn nodded understandingly"No problem, I'll keep your rooms ready."

* * *

><p>Trent and Arianna traveled farther, until they came to what looked like a mountain. At it's base was a small village, the two heroes could only assume it to be the town of Upover. Trent addressed his companion"What do you reckon this Hero of the Heavens looks like?"<p>

"I don't know that myself, but we'll find out" replied Arianna.

The pair ventured into the village of Upover, the layout of which consisted of two tiers. If Arianna hadn't been as focused on her mission as she is, the Celestrian would've thought this village to be an amazing sight. Trent sighed"Why do you reckon this town is called Upover? I heard about it from my grandfather, back when I was seven."

"That's a question I'd ask about most cities on the Protectorate, but let's gather information about this Hero of the Heavens, all right?" replied Arianna.

The Mayor's House was on the second tier of the village, Trent and Arianna went in to see a dark haired man seated on a throne-like chair. The Mayor of Upover was surprised to meet the pair"Oh, good day, what brings you here? Did you get here by that broken path on the way?"

Trent replied"It's a long story, sir. But my companion and I have business with a being called the Hero of the Heavens, do you know anything about that?"

The Mayor started at the Gladiator's request before responding"That which you speak of is the legendary White Dragon, Greygnarl. He resides on the summit of the Magmaroo Volcano."

"The Magmaroo?" questioned Trent.

The Mayor responded"The inside of Magmaroo is a volcanic cavern which leads to the summut. Why, I must ask, do you wish to venture to the top of the mountain?"

The Celestrain replied"We request an audience with Greygnarl, it is of the upmost importance."

The Mayor frowned, not as though he were annoyed, but he seemed to ponder his answer. An old woman, who stood in the same room, said"The Magmaroo is a bit dangerous, and the legendary Dragon is not to be trifled."

"I would imagine so, if this Greygnarl' is a dragon. Is there anything special we should know? Because you sound like you know him" piped Arianna.

The old woman spoke"Three centuries in the past, the foul Gittish Empire invaded Upover. King Godwyn's elite warriors, and a monstrous black dragon tried to enslave the people here, but they were driven out and defeated by a greyish white dragon. That dragon was Greygnarl, the defender of this humble village."

"The Legend of Greygnarl, the white dragon who came around and defeated the forces of evil King Godwyn three centuries ago. My mother spoke of it to me and Alicia, but my family all thought it to be merely a myth" frowned Trent.

"It's not a myth, the mighty Greygnarl himself is living proof. Should you desire to meet with him, you may proceed through the Magmaroo, tell the guard at the cave entrence that I sent you" said the mayor.

Trent and Arianna left the Mayor's hut, and headed upstairs to what appeared to be a hole in the mountain. Guarding it was a single man, who addressed the Celestrian"What business do you have in the Magmaroo caves?"

Arianna stepped forward a little"We wish to meet with the White Dragon Greygnarl at the mountain's summit."

"Do you have the mayor's permissioin? The Magmaroo is very hot, and monsters are reported to be lurking inside" frowned the guard.

"We have his permission, so can you let us through?" said Trent, impatiently.

The guard hesitated a bit before responding"Very well, but watch yourselves! The Magmaroo is a dangerous place, it is restricted due to a slight monster infestation and there are pools of lava in places."

Arianna acknowledged the guard's warning as she and Trent strode into the fiery caverns of the Magmaroo. The inside was mildly dark, with huge brown rock walls and a large mass of lava beneath a rock pathway ahead.

"Whoo! It's hot in here" remarked Trent.

"Our other outfits are back on the Pride of Bloomingdale, it can't be helped. Now let's go meet Greygnarl" said the Celestrian.

As the pair started through the boiling hot cavern, a pair of black and red rocks accoted the duo. Trent pulled out his sword and slashed the two monsters, while Arianna encountered and defeated a Mega Moai.

Trent sighed as he shealthed his sword"That guard wasn't kidding."

"Let's just keep moving" responded the Celestrian.

* * *

><p>The Pride of Bloomingdale sailed east Alicia and her group, plus their guests, searched the other islands on the sea for any sign of their two missing companions. Alicia and Sasha held vigil, while Conrad steered the ship from the helm.<p>

Angelo, Milly and Jessica relaxed in the cabin, while Raymond stood at the rear end of the ship's deck. After a moment of watching the clouds drift by, the Mage walked over to Alicia"Everything all right?"

"Yeah, but I'm still a little worried for Trent. Protecting the world from the evil which Milly spoke of seems beyond us, aren't you worried for your family?" frowned Alicia.

The Mage shrugged"My hometown, Zere is such a small village that It really has nothing of value. No worries, though I wonder if we can overcome our current dilemmas."

"Hey! I see a dark shadow up ahead!" cried Conrad, who was watching the sky from the starboard deck.

"Where?" whispered Sasha.

Conrad pointed to a nearby continent, the landmass of which had a large mountainous volcano at it's western side. A monstrous shadow was flying steadily towards it. Raymond, Alicia and Sasha followed his gaze to the strange shadow.

Alicia paled"If what the map reads is true, we're headed to the town of Upover. It has a history with the Gittish Empire, which was supposedly destroyed by a magnificent greyish white dragon."

"I don't usually take legends seriously, but if the shadow is any indication, it could be the mythical Black Dragon" muttered Conrad.

The Priestess alerted her group"We have to stay on our guard, that shadow is bad news. Conrad, get us as close to Upover as you can."

"The ship is as close as it gets, I'll have to lay the anchor down and grapple us to the shore" sighed the Ranger.

"Cowar before the might of the Gittish Empire!" bellowed a voice as a squadron of undead skeletal soldiers led by an Lethal Armor appeared on deck.

Sasha readied herself while Raymond blasted three Undead Soldiers down with Boom. The Paladin crossed blades with the Lethal Armor, which sported a sword and shield"give up, you cannot win."

"Begone, monster!" cried Sasha, disarming the Lethal Armor before stabbing at the metallic plates. Raymond disposed of the remaining Undead Soldiers with Bang.

"Those monsters work for the Gittish Empire, huh? That sounds strange" frowned Conrad.

Sasha shrugged"Let's just hurry up and go to that town, hopefully we'll find Trent and Arianna safe and sound."

* * *

><p>A minute earlier, Trent and Arianna trudged through the firey Magmaroo as they neared it's peak. Along the way, they came to a singular round chamber with someone training in the area. From what Arianna could see, it was the silhouette of a woman.<p>

"Astrid?" called the Gladiator.

The figure stopped what she was doing and turned to walk towards the pair. The woman spoke"The two of you are safe, thank the Almighty. Lester and I helped a man named Wallace take you to his village to recover".

Trent acknowledged the woman"Wallace said someone helped him help me and Arianna. That was you?"

Astrid nodded"Lester and I had a ship of our own, which is damaged by monsters summoned by a formidable shadow from our world's past. I bribed the guard outside and am training here in the Magmaroo, I am a Armamentelist. A sort-of a cross between a Mage and Warrior."

"It is pleasent to see you again, but where's Lester? Wasn't he with you?" inquired the Celestrian.

The Armamentalist replied"He went to buy supplies, didn't you run into Lester while you were in town?"

"No, but Arianna and I have business here. But how did you get to Upover without the Wyrmwood Bow?" inquired Trent.

Astrid shrugged"Lester has special magic at his disposal, he won't say what it is. Are you going to the Summit? That's where the White Dragon's lair is."

Trent squared his shoulders"Arianna and I are going to meet Greygnarl, care to come with us?"

Astrid shook her head"You won't need my help with this one, but not even I know what the dragon will do once it sees you. I would council you against going any farther to the summit, but I can see that this may be important."

Trent and Arianna thanked the mysterious Armamentalist before heading to a cave opening. Along the way, they were intercepted by a green dragon.

"Bring it on" said Trent, attacking with Dragon Slash. The Green Dragon let out a stream of flame in retaliation, which was intercepted by an Ice spell. Trent turned to acknowledge Astrid, who stood before them.

"Go on ahead, I will take care of this beast for you" said Astrid.

"What about you?" shouted the Gladiator who narrowly blocked the monster's sharp claws with his shield.

The Armamentalist shot a thunder attack at the Green Dragon before responding"I got this one, part of the reason Lester and I are here is to deal with the monster infestation in the Magmaroo."

Trent and Arianna rushed to the cave exit, Astrid stood behind to put the weakened Green Dragon out of it's misery. Trent sighed as he and Arianna exited the firey Magmaroo"I can't help but think I've known Astrid from somewhere."

"We'll talk with her later, just focus on the mission" said Arianna. The pair had emerged onto a small stone plateau, high above Upover. To their right was a small staircase leading to a larger platform.

"What do you think Greygnarl is like?" wondered Trent.

"Who knows?" shrugged the female Warrior.

The trip to the staircase was short as the two headed towards the legendary Dragon of Upover's lair. Straight ahead of the two was a cave, Arianna guessed this was where they'd find the dragon.

Trent sighed"I hope he is willing to help us."

Arianna shook her head"We are nothing but strangers to Upover, we must guage matters accordingly. Look, something is coming out of that cave."

The ground shook softly as a large, greyish white dragon emerged from the cavern. The dragon was larger then most of the monsters the two heroes encountered, it was a radiant sight to the Celestrian's eyes.

The being let out a low growled as it spoke without moving it's lips"What business do you have with me? Are you agents of the Gittish Empire?"

"No, sir, we just wanted to see you" said Trent.

The dragon did not appear to believe the Gladiator as he let out a stream of fire. Trent dodged while Arianna attacked with Dragon Slash, only to be knocked backwards by the dragon's paws.

"Fools! I am Greygnarl! You cannot best me!" growled the dragon, letting out another bout of flames. The pair barely managed to dodge, Trent suffedred a slight burn on his shoulder.

Arianna quickly healed her companion who charged again, avoiding Greygnarl's deadly flame as he marked their adversary with Dragon Slash. The annoyed dragon swiped Trent, causing him to cry out in pain. Arianna healed the injured Gladiator with a medicinal herb, just as he countered Greygnarl with a Falcon Slash.

The White Dragon singed his opponents with another blast of flames, which Arianna softened with an Insulate spell. Trent attacked Greygnarl with Dragon Slash again, only to dodge in order to avoid a bite attack.

"This is a waste of time, we have to get Greygnarl to listen to us" whispered Arianna.

"What do you have in mind?" wondered Trent.

"Leave it to me" replied the Celestrian.

Greygnarl let out another violent torrant of fire, which Trent dodged while Arianna moved in to attack with another Dragon Slash. The dragon took to the air and unleashed another firey inferno, while Arianna shielded herself and Trent with Insulatte.

"How about a little help?" said another voice as Astrid entered the scene and cast an elemental spell on Trent's blade. The blond was astonished as a brown and black aura augmented his sword.

"I shall send you to your doom!" thundered the dragon, belching a tongue of flame at the newcomer. Trent slashed at Greygnarl's leg, his sword burning with the joint powers of earth and darkness.

Greygnarl was even more annoyed at the exploit of his weakness, so he clawed at Trent. The Gladiator dodged again while Arianna leapt overhead and brought her sword down on one of Greygnarl's legs. The dragon collapsed back onto the ground.

"Thanks Astrid" said Trent.

The Armamentalist shrugged"You don't have to thank me."

Trent and Arianna braced themselves as Greygnarl got back onto it's feet. Before the fight could continue, a voice cried out"Wait!"

The group turned to see the old woman from the mayor's house. The woman spoke"This must have been a misunderstanding, you must not hurt Greygnarl."

Arianna had already started administrating herbs to herself, Trent and the wounded dragon. The being spoke in awe as the Celestrian healed it's injuries"Hmph, seems I was mistaken. If you're not from the Gittish Empire, who might you be?"

Trent replied"My companion, Arianna and I came to request your aid. The world is being threatened by the Black Dragon."

"The Black Dragon Barbarus? Hmph! I know that creature too well, it was slain three centuries ago. Why would it have returned from beyond?" inquired Greygnarl.

"It has been destroyed before, but the black dragon truly lives and is poised to strike anywhere at anytime" piped Trent.

Arianna finished tending to the injured white dragon's injuries as she explained what had happened"I don't really expect you to believe me, I used to be a Celestrian. I only speak the truth."

Greygnarl sighed"I grow weary of this nonesense. If you truly do not belong to the empire, then begone!"

Trent could see that this would be a hopeless cause. Arianna sighed"It's no good, we somehow have to prove that the black dragon is really alive."

The old woman addressed the pair"Well, if your business here is done, why don't you come back to the village?"

Trent, Arianna and Astrid escorted the old woman down as they left Greygnarl's lair. Trent inquired"How did you know that grouch?"

The woman frowned"For your information, I was appointed to help Greygnarl as a caretaker of sorts. He is not to be trifled with, you were either brave or foolish to test Greygnarl as you did."

Upon returning to the village and escorting the woman back, a man shouted"Hey, look!"

Trent, Arianna and Astrid looked to see the monsterous black monster show up and several monsters landed. Among them was a half-human creature with the face and claws of a carnivorous bird. Below them, monsters were harrassing the Villagers of Upover.

Trent brandished his sword"Who are you, beak face?"

The creature hooted indignantly"How dare you, hoo, hoot! I am Lieutenant Hootingham-Gore of the Imperial Triumgorate! Surrender to us, or die, hoot!"

"I'd rather die in battle with honor thank you very much" retorted Arianna.

"Hoo, hoot! you hoot me up, you think just the three of you will stop me? Hoot!"

Arianna stood firm"Don't underestimate me, leave Upover or I will send you back to afterlife where you belong!"

Hootingham-Gore sneered"You think you can face the mighty Gittish Empire? Hoot, hoot! Prepare to be destroyed."

The Triumgorate Lieutenant signaled his monsters to attack Arianna and her group before retreating to the back of the black dragon. Trent and Arianna bashed back some of the undead Gittish Warriors, while Astrid kept watch on the Magmaroo entrance to prevent monsters from reaching and attacking Greygnarl.

A horde of lance-wielding monsters called Stenchurions charged at the three, who slashed and hacked apart the enemy ranks. Arianna unleashed Gigagash, blasting apart most of the encroaching horde, Trent took to the front and cut down as many of the remaining Stenchurions as he could.

"There are too many, we must lure them into the Magmaroo if needed. The undead warriors won't get that far since the lava would burn their bones" said Astrid, cutting down a Stenchurion that dared to get too close.

"Boom!" a blast of firey magic tore apart even more Stenchurions, Trent and Arianna had taken a few minor blows in the process of fighting of their new foes.

"Raymond! Glad you can make it" smiled Trent, seeing the red haired mage.

"Don't get too excited, here we go" said another voice. Arianna was surprised to see Lester accompanying Conrad, Alicia, Sasha and three more people in battle against the Stenchurions.

One of the skeletal monsters was furious to see his horde fall, he snarled at Trent"I, the Fright Knight, will finish you off!"

"I wouldn't bet on it" said Trent, charging forward to meet the Fright Knight in a duel. The Gladiator ducked and weaved around the Fright Knight's flurry of blows as they fought.

Nearby, Conrad backstabbed one of the remaining Stenchurions while Raymond took out the rest with Boom. Sasha, meanwhile, helped Astrid watch the entrance to the Magmaroo caverns. The guard had fled in terror when he saw the monster horde coming.

Trent and the Fight Knight were on even footing as they dueled, the monster swung it's sword at the Gladiator's neck. Trent ducked and countered by slashing upward at the monster's thigh. The Fright Knight dodged and thrusted at Trent, who jumped backwards and slashed the monster's skull. The blow left a small dent, which the Fright Knight countered by slashing wildly at the Gladiator.

Trent blocked as best he could before taking a blow to the shoulder. Alicia healed her brother while Sasha rushed towards the Fright Knight and impaled it. The creature attempted to stab her, but was blown apart by a Boom spell from Raymond.

The Villagers who stopped to watch were amazed at the battle prowess of the heroes and their allies. The mayor addressed Arianna"I get the feeling the Gittish Empire may counterattack, can you do something?"

"I'm sure Greygnarl witnessed the battle, I must go consult with him" replied the Celestrian.

"Everyone okay?" said Alicia.

"Yeah, how did you guys find us?" inquired Trent.

Raymond shrugged"It was a tough job, but we came here to Upover after checking out the village of Wormwood Creek. Then we came to Upover and ran into that mess."

The blond woman addressed Arianna"Am I to assume you are the leader of a group of Adventurers?"

Arianna nodded"Yes, in a way. But who are you?"

"The name's Angelo, these two beauties with me are Jessica and Milly" said the white haired man.

Jessica rolled her eyes'I can't take that guy anywhere'.

After the introductions that followed, Trent addressed the Celestrian"Mind if I accompany you back to Greygnarl's lair?"

"Yes" said the Celestrian.

As the pair cast Zoom to go back to the summit, Jessica spoke with Alicia"Arianna is quite busy, isn't she?"

The Priestess shrugged"Yeah, I am just glad my brother is okay, I wonder what went on while we were separated."

* * *

><p>The Zoom spell returned Trent and Arianna to the summit of Magmaroo, the greyish-white dragon acknowledged them"I saw everything, so you now must stop the black dragon, I presume?"<p>

"Yes, your excellency" nodded Arianna.

Greygnarl spoke"Then here's the catch, you must speak to me while alone. I also desire the ale, Drunkin Dragon, I am very parched. When you are ready, return to me without your companion."

Arianna nodded, then the pair zoomed back to the town. The Celestrian addressed the Gladiator"I don't know what Greygnarl requests of me, but I need you and the others to remain vigilant on Upover. If something bad happens, just look for a way to stop the Gittish Empire before they invade other countries. Gleeba and Stornway would be hopelessly outmatched against the full combined might of the Empire and the black dragon."

"What of the other Celestrians?" frowned Trent.

"They, too, would act accordingly. Though I doubt Apus Major would consider sacrificing the rest of our Celestrian Warriors for the benefit of mankind, there are simply too few of us to act against the vast monster hordes. Trent, this is just for luck" said Arianna, planting a light kiss to his forehead.

Trent struggled to keep from blushing as the Celestrian went to the wine cellor to collect the drink that Greygnarl wanted.

* * *

><p>An additional thirty minutes passed on Arianna's part as she purchased a drink called the Drunken Dragon and zoomed straight to the summit. Greygnarl awaited the Celestrian"Good, now defeat the creature to obtain a Gittish Seal."<p>

As he spoke, an Agrisculpture appeared and punched at the Celestrian. Arianna dodged and attacked with Falcon Slash. Acrisculpture attacked with a full body slam, which the Celestrian dodged and then pierced her opponent with her sword. The defeated monster cumbled into dust, in it's place was a yellowish medal.

As Arianna picked up the medal and relinquish the can of Drunken Dragon, Greygnarl spoke once more"The encounter with the Black Dragon will not be so easy. As farther protection against the monster's power, I bestow upon you the legendary Dragon Warrior Gear."

At that moment, a flash of yellow lights emitted in front of Greygnarl as a radiant suit of armor and a mighty blade appeared before the Celestrian. Arianna retrieved the armor before touching a greenish blade with a similarly colored hilt.

As though to answer Arianna's astonishment, Greygnarl spoke"This is the Dragon Warrior Armor, Dragon Warrior Shield, Dragon Warrior Helm, Dragon Warrior Gauntlets and Dragonslayer Sword. A proud warrior left those here, and the Gittish Shield was taken from a dead Gittish Lieutenant."

Arianna nodded her thanks"So what do I do now?"

"You may hop on my back once you put on the Dragon Warrior equipment, and we'll go crush the Black Dragon together!" replied Greygnarl.

The Celestrian went back inside the cave to change into the armor given to her by the dragon. When she was ready, Arianna gently climbed onto Greygnarl's back, as the two made ready to encounter the Black Dragon.

* * *

><p>Down below in Upover, Trent wondered back to his comrades and explained the situation. Astrid nodded"I hope this works out okay. If not, we'll have to storm the empire ourselves."<p>

"How can we do that? The main palace of Git is in an isolated part of this continent" frowned Lester.

"We'll blaze a trail if we must" said Sasha.

Alicia glimpsed at the sky"Look, Greygnarl has just taken off!"

The group and the townspeople watched as Greygnarl, bearing Arianna on his back, flew towards the shadowy dragon waiting for them.

"Let's go back to the ship, we can view what is happening through my crystal ball. I brought it with me from my mentor's place" offered Milly.

Trent hesitated, then replied"All right, I just hope that black dragon gets deep fried by Greygnarl."

Alicia's group returned to the Pride of Bloomingdale, unaware of what was about to occur. Greygnarl and Arianna were in for an unpleasent surprise.

* * *

><p>In the sky itself, Arianna and Greygnarl encountered the black dragon Barbarus and Hootingham-Gore. The Celestrian started coolly at the bird-like humanoid"Hootingham-Gore, prepare to face the judgement of the Almighty!"<p>

The bird-like Lieutenant sneered"Hoot! We shall see, now come and test yourselves against us!"

"Graygnarl, we meet again" snarled Barbarus.

Graygnarl roared"You shall be sent back to the afterlife, monster!"

Barbarus shot a dark fireball at the white dragon, who dodged as best he could without throwing Arianna off. The Celestrian cast Insunette on herself and Greygnarl as the two dragons clashed. As soon as they were close enough, Arianna took a stab at Hootingham-Gore, who brandished a strange staff with a bird beak on it's end. The Lieutenant dodged and hurled a wind spell at the Celestrian.

Greygnarl swiped at Barbarus with his front right claw, only for the black dragon to counter with a blast of flame to the white dragon's face. Arianna healed Greygnarl before slashing at Hootingham-Gore. Hootingham was too quick, however. He dodged and hurled a Tornado spell at the Celestrian.

Arianna staggered back while Greygnarl blasted Barbarus with his own fire. Barbarus sneered"As formidable as ever I see, Greygnarl. Let's see how you handle this!"

The demon opened it's mouth and shot a flare of darkness at Upover. Greygnarl addressed Arianna"This is it, I'm afraid. You must carry on without me, I must stop that dark flare!"

"What about you?" inquired Arianna.

"Forget about me, just go" sighed the white dragon.

Arianna nodded, then stood in preparation to launch a desparate assault on Hootingham-Gore'Trent, guys, forgive me.'

"Oh? What can you do, hoot!" chortled Hootingham.

Just before Greygnarl turned to intercept Barbarus's spell, Arianna ran to the top of Greygnarl's head and jumped at Barbarus. Upon landing on the Black Dragon's head, she charged right at Hootingham-Gore.

The Triumgorate Lieutenant sneered"Oh, don't make me laugh, hoo, hoo! See if you can't withstand this!"

Arianna braced herself as another tornado spell was sent right for her. Knowing she could not dodge, the Celestrian took a deep breath and resigned herself to her fate before the spell hit. The impact was so powerful that it sent the young Celestrian tumbling off. Nearby, Greygnarl had formed into a mighty light form and collided with Barbarus's death flare.

Nearby, Stella the fairy had watched the spectacle and thought as she saw Arianna fall'Oh flap!'

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, on the Pride of Bloomingdale, the other heroes and their guests congregated around a table in the cabin as Milly showed them what was happening through her crystal ball.<p>

"What the? It can't be, do those crystal ball things lie?" groaned Trent.

"No, but fear not, Arianna is alive" replied the Fortune Teller.

Lester let out a deep breath in what sounded like relief"What about the white dragon?"

Milly shook her head"The great hero of the heavens has fallen. He sacrificed himself to protect Upover, the empire's attack was not entirely fruitless."

"So where's Arianna now?" wondered Trent.

Milly concentrated farther into her crystal ball"The crystal's power is clouded, I sense a greater force then the enemies you are facing. I also sense a vast, barren land with only two buildings standing."

Alicia nodded"So that is where Arianna could be."

"That seems doubtful, judging from where the air battle took place" said Sasha, who was comparing her map to the crystal's images.

"The crystal does not lie, you must now find a way there and save your friend. How far are any of you willing to go to fetch back Arianna and the Celestrial Train?" spoke Milly.

"Whatever it takes" said Trent, fingering his sword.

Alicia pressed the Fortune Teller"How do you know of the Starflight Express?"

Milly raised a hand"In all due time, but let's just say that my teacher was a powerful Seer. The fate of the world lays in your hands."

Trent nodded, then said"Sasha, Conrad, help me plot a course to the north west. We have an Empire to stop and a friend in need of assistance."

Jessica spoke"Now you're talking, I just hope you know what you are doing."

Astrid shrugged"Lester and I will stay with you until we rescue Arianna. Lester has something to tell her, and I have a secret of my own."

"That can always wait, now let's get this old ship moving" smirked Jessica.

Trent smiled as he and his comrades made ready for another big mission. The Gladiator's thoughts drifted briefly to the Celestrian'Hang in there!'

* * *

><p>Cliffhanger time, I hope that dosen't bother anyone. Sorry this one took so long to upload, I've been kind of occupied with other things. I also apologize of there was any OOCness.<p>

Please feel free to review.


	21. Gortress Revolt

Mike AZ 2 here, another day and another chapter. Thanks PurpleDolphinPlush for adding this fic to favorites. I will be switching a bit to both Trent and Arianna's perspectives in this chapter.

Disclaimer: The Dragon Quest games, characters, locations, etc. were created by Squaresoft.

* * *

><p>Chapter XX: Gortress Revolt<p>

The Celestrian Arianna had half expected an unwelcome end as she fell from where she and Greygnarl were squaring off against the black dragon Barbarus and Lt. Hootingham-Gore of the Triumgorate.

But shortly after her fall, the Celestrian Warrior woke to find herself bound in chains. Surrounding her were some dark armored warriors who were marching the captive Celestrian towards a dark fortress. The interior of which had a guillotine and a wheel-like device in the courtyard, Arianna could tell that this was more of a prison then a fortress.

Arianna, seeing no way out of her predicament, cooperated as the guards escorted her to the basement level of the prison fortress. The Celestrian took a deep breath to compose herself as they walked farther down.

At the bottom floor of the forboding-looking fortress, the Celestrian found herself brought before a massive hog-shaped humanoid. One of the guards addressed the humanoid"Lieutenant Goreham, sir! We have a new prisoner!"

The hog humanoid, apparently called Goreham, chortled"Oh, this is a surprise. This girl does not look a bit like a Celestrian, does she?"

"No, sir" replied the guard.

Goreham-Hogg's eyes narrowed as he stared at Arianna before returning his attention to the guard"Humph! It matters not, she could still be useful. Throw her into one of the cells!"

"Yes, sir" nodded the guard.

* * *

><p>Trent and his group sailed the Pride of Bloomingdale to the north west, Conrad addressed the Gladiator"So what's the plan, Trent?"<p>

The Gladiator shrugged"I am not too sure, we don't even know how to get into the Empire."

"There is a tall, impenetrable wall up ahead. I can't sense what could be past that, though" interjected Raymond.

Angelo grimaced"Nowhere is exactly impenetrable, is it? Shouldn't it be possible to blaze our own trail?"

Alicia, who stood next to her brother at the helm, shrugged"Well, that depends what you have in mind."

Sasha studied the map as her group sailed for what seemed like hours. As soon as they came to the tall mountainous range that Raymond spoke of, Trent studied the terrain before speaking"I have a plan, we're going to blaze a trail over that. Hopefully, it will take us to the Empire."

"Your guess is as good as mine, but it's our best bet" nodded the Paladin.

The group docked the Pride of Bloomingdale next to the mountain wall. Trent's group and their guests gazed at the tall mountain briefly before the Gladiator addressed the Ranger"Got any crackers?"

"Yeah, what about them?" frowned Conrad.

Trent replied"The wall is soft enough that I can create some makeshift footholes and handholes in the wall using some salted crackers and Sasha's battle stave."

"A well conceived plan, but you could be risking your life that way" said Sasha, pointedly.

"Can you think of anything else? Does anyone have some rope I can borrow?" pressed the Gladiator.

Jessica and Angelo rummaged into their bags before passing two pieces of long rope to Trent from their inventory. Milly inquired"Is this enough?"

Trent nodded"I will use my sword as a marker. It's risky, but this could be our only way in without the Starflight Express."

"Just be sure to throw the rope down to us if you get over that cliff" responded Raymond.

"All right, let's get to work. Raymond, Conrad, you two need to keep a look out for sky-riding enemies. It's unlikely that the enemy will let us just waltz into their territory" spoke Astrid.

* * *

><p>In the Gortress, Arianna shortly found herself in a small room with a bench in the corner. Through the bars next to her window, she saw the figure of a short, muscle-bound man wearing a silver chestplate and a dark helmet. The man gruffly addressed her"Hey, who might you be?"<p>

The Celestrian replied"I am Arianna, might I ask who you are?"

"No more then a prisoner like yourself. My name's Sterling, you're new here, aren't you?" responded the man.

Arianna checked herself before responding"You can say that, my name's Arianna. Do you know of a way out of this place?"

Sterling shrugged"Beats me, there is a strange barrier surrounding the Gortress. Only the soldiers who have a Gittish Crest in posession are able to pass freely."

The Celestrian glanced down on her shirt and was surprised to find Gittish Seal that Greygnarl gave her'The Empire was far too foolish to take this off me. All I need to do is reclaim my sword and free myself'.

An hour passed, Arianna and Sterling sat quietly in their cells. A guard entered the man's cell and addressed him"You, show the girl around and see to it that she's put to work!"

Sterling nodded silently as the guard opened his cell, while another guard entered Arianna's cell and removed the chains binding her wrists. The Celestrian raised her eyebrow"What are you doing?"

The guard merely escorted Arianna out to the courtyard to where a few more prisoners were being put to work on a strange wheel-like device. Sterling addressed her quietly when they were alone"Those guards are not too bright, I have a plan. It would involve the other prisoners, though."

"What is that?" whispered Arianna.

Sterling whispered back"Get in line with the other prisoners, we don't want the guards getting suspicious. This will make it look like we're working."

The man proceeded to explain his plan"I saw a Gittish Seal on your shirt, it is barely recognizable though. The barrier prevents those without a Gittish Seal from leaving, but there is a generator somewhere."

"I was thinking of how to break away, myself. Do you know where my equipment is?" inquired Arianna as she helped the other prisoners, most of them men, turn the wheel which was controlling a strange contraption elsewhere in the Gortress.

"Most likely downstairs where Goreham-Hogg is, he dosen't trust people very much. But anyway, we'd best keep a low profile until morning" said Sterling.

* * *

><p>Trent had started chipping away at the smooth surface, which proved tougher then the rest of the heroes thought. Raymond and Jessica's spells weren't much help either.<p>

"What kind of half-baked plan is this, anyway?" sighed Conrad, watching Trent chip holes into the soft spots in the cliff with Sasha's stave. As the Gladiator slowly worked his way upward, Angelo proceeded to flirt a bit with Jessica.

Conrad took a moment to strike up a conversation with Sasha"What do you reckon is in the Empire?"

Sasha shrugged"If you look back at history, the empire was broken by Greygnarl the dragon and the people of Upover. I doubt it's much more then ruins after all these years."

"Sounds like Brigadoom" frowned Alicia, who was listening.

Trent climbed higher, making even more holes as he worked. Looking down after nearly making it to the top, he saw that the Pride of Bloomingdale looked like a very small ship from above.

"What are you waiting for?" said Jessica, impatiently.

"Sorry, it's just higher then I imagined" flushed Trent, climbing his way up to the top of the cliff, which led to a stone platform. On the wasteland below that, he could see a tall citadel south of a strange-looking fortress.

Shaking his head at the desolate sight, Trent tied together the two pieces of rope and threw one end of it down to his companions. One by one, the rest of the group climbed to where Trent pinned his end of the thick rope in place with his sword.

"Some mountain climb, eh?" grinned Conrad.

Trent sighed"What next?"

"We best make camp, the fortress ahead is closer from the looks of this barren place" said Astrid.

* * *

><p>At dawn the next morning, Arianna subsisted on some stale bread and water that a guard brought her before being brought herself to the courtyard of the Gortress. When he arrived, the Celestrian saw a commotion going on at the guillotine. A young man was being held there by a group of guards, Sterling stood in front of her.<p>

"What's happening?" whispered Arianna.

Sterling grunted"I had one of the other prisoners stage a rebellion by refusing to cooperate with the guards. This is what they do to prisoners who try to resist."

One of the guards tied the young man to the guillotine and was about to execute him in front of the other prisoners, when Sterling pushed the guard aside.

"Get back in line!" shouted another guard.

One of the other prisoners handed Arianna her sword"You'll need this, I managed to sneak it up here."

The Celestrian gratefully accepted the weapon, and charged at one of the guards. The guard, who was really a Lethal Armor monster, drew his own blade in surprise and stabbed at Arianna. The Celestrian gracefully dodged the blow and tore the armor apart with Falcon Slash.

While Arianna was at it, the other prisoners had taken up arms and confronted the remaining Gortress Guards. Sterling punched another guard who tried to subdue him before addressing Arianna"Get to the generator and deactivate the force field! Once that's done, we'll have to take down Goreham-Hogg. The Generator is in that tower ahead."

Arianna nodded and ran towards the tower, cutting down more Lethal Armors at she went.

* * *

><p>Earlier that same morning, Trent and his group ate a small salad for breakfast before continuing towards the strange fortress. They had gotten down to the barren wasteland with little difficulty, and the sound of battle was soon audible as they got closer.<p>

"Sounds like we're in for some action, gang" said Alicia.

"Let's go check it out" said Trent, rushing towards the fortress.

As they got there, the group saw an opening in the fortress, and a strange glow emitted from the entrance for a moment before it vanished. Raymond sensed that it was some kind of force field.

"Ready when you are" said Trent, brandishing his blade.

Trent and his allies barged in with their weapons ready to find a skirmish between civilians and some armored guards in motion. Conrad frowned"Hard to tell the good guys from the bad."

"I can tell, the armored soldiers are really monsters, they cannot decieve my eyes" said Milly.

Trent ran towards an armored soldier who was about to intercept a duel between his comrad and one of the struggling civilians. The soldier was taken by surprise as Trent ran his blade through him.

Angelo, Lester and Astrid struck down three Lethal Armors who had spotted them. Another Lethal Armor snuck up on Conrad, only to be knocked away by Sasha.

A moment later as the battle dragged on with Trent's group helping the civilians, Arianna rushed out of the tower with her task of shutting down the force field completed by smashing the device.

"Arianna, are we late?" said Trent, cutting down another Lethal Armor.

"No, you're right on time. Now let's get my armor back, and I have a Triumgorate Lieutenant to send back to the grave" said Arianna.

"Let us assist you" piped Sasha.

Arianna nodded"Okay, but some of you will have to help defend the civilians. What's more, I heard that one of the guards escaped to alert the other Triumgorate Lieutenant of the revolt."

Arianna, Trent, Alicia, Conrad, Sasha and Raymond rushed to the tower, bolding striding downstairs and striking down two more Imperials. As they got to the bottom floor, the hog-like monster was waiting for them"Gr, what is that noise? No matter, I can stamp out your silly little uprising."

"Bring it on, pig face!" said a voice as a fireball hit Goreham-Hogg square on the chest. The infuriated Lieutenant swung a massive ball-and-chain weapon at the caster, who turned out to be Jessica.

Sasha jumped in front of the female Mage, taking the fireball for her. While Alicia healed the Paladin, Conrad shot at Goreham-Hogg's face. The monster knocked the arrow out of the air with his mace before lashing out at Arianna.

Trent caught the chain with his sword and yanked the weapon out of Goreham's hand while Raymond cast Boom on the Triumgorate Lieutanent. The spell nicked Goreham-Hogg, who pulled out a dagger and charged at Trent. The Gladiator caught the smaller blade with his, only for Goreham to stomp on his foot and reclaim the ball-and-chain.

"Heck, no!" shouted Conrad, hitting Goreham-Hogg with an arrow to the shoulder, the hog monster bashed the Ranger with the ball of his weapon. Alicia healed Conrad, while Trent and Arianna charged Goreham-Hogg at the same time.

Goreham-Hogg swung his weapon at the pair, Trent and Arianna ducked out of the way while Conrad fired another arrow. the hog staggered back for a moment, giving Trent the opening he needed to stab the monster in the gut.

Goreham-Hogg opened his mouth as though to gasp before falling backwards onto the ground. Dust and smoke covered the Triumgorate Lieutenant's body as he faded, the spirit of the man he was in his proper life fading to where it belonged.

"We did it" gasped Conrad.

Arianna went to the treasure chests that Goreham-Hogg was guarding, retrieving both her armor and a strange key.

Sterling, who caught up to the group earlier, said"You did it, now we have to release the prisoners on this floor."

Arianna opened the nearby doors with the key, surprised to see more of her comrades from the Observatory being held captive. One of them was a woman with a darker shade of purple hair.

"Are you all right?" inquired the Warrior.

The woman sighed"Yes, thank you. We'll talk later, just lead the way out of here, all right?"

Arianna's group and the formerly captive Celestrians returned to the scene of the battle, which had just ended. One of the prisoners crowed"We won! Sucks for that hog's bunch!"

"Don't celebreate yet, look!" cried Lester.

The black dragon from yesterday towered overhead, blowing fireballs down at the prisoners. Sterling addressed the rest of the prisoners"Get out of here, leave that thing to me."

"But Sterling, you can't do anything about that beast, alone!" protested a man.

"I can, just get going" urged Sterling.

Trent and his group caught up to the musculer man"What are you planning?"

Sterling took ahold of a silver whistle tied around his neck and blew. In a flash of yellow light, the Starflight Express came smashing into the black dragon. The train landed next to Trent and his group while the prisoners fled from the dragon's wrath.

Sterling, Trent, Arianna, Sasha, Conrad, Raymond, Alicia, Lester, Astrid, Milly, Jessica and Angelo rushed onto the train, which sped off towards the sky.

"Well, it's about flap time I found you guys" remarked a voice, Stella was at the controls of the Express.

"Right on time" remarked Sterling.

Stella was surprised to see the newcomer"Old Fatguts! Where have you been?"

"No time for that, Stella, and don't call me that! Just get us to the observatory, pronto!" said the man.

"That was some rescue, eh?" grinned Angelo.

Arianna was surprised to see more guests from Stornway"Did you have to get involved? Not that I'm ungrateful."

Angelo grinned"Heh, I couldn't leave a damsel in distress now, could I?"

"Ignore that guy, I'm Jessica" said the female Mage.

Milly addressed Arianna"I wanted to speak to you, but instead we dragged ourselves into your troubles."

"No trouble at all, let's talk more about it when we get to the Observatory. Lester, isn't it about time you told us your story?" inquired Arianna.

Lester shrugged"Yes, I am secretly your older brother. Astrid has her own secret, but I won't spill it for her."

Trent was shocked"But what was that all about?"

"We'll talk later, we have to report to Apus Major. Angelo, Milly, Jessica, we'll drop you off at the Quester's Rest as soon as we can" said Arianna.

"How can you be Arianna's brother, Lester? You don't have any wings" frowned Alicia.

Lester shrugged"We'll explain it at the Observatory. For now, we have bigger things to worry about, there is no logic in the Empire's revival."

"Logic shmogic, stranger things have happened" said Sasha.

The train flew higher and higher until it came to the Observatory. The Celestrians who were held at the Gortress were rescued, but the rest of the Empire's army remained.

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><p>Another chapter is all ready, I hope that comment I made Sasha say dosen't count as a swear. If it does, I might have to increase the rating. My two temporary OCs will be explained next chapter, I promise. As for Angelo, Jessica and Milly, they'll only be around for the next chapter, if you don't mind.<p>

While the next chapter will cover the Gittingham Palace area, I don't know if I should make the fight with King Godwyn (sorry for the spoiler) a separate chapter.

As for that mountain-climbing thing, I did that to make this chapter a bit more interesting. It's not possible to do that in-game to those of you not in the know. And sorry if the chapter title wasn't too good, I'm just trying to keep it interesting.

Please feel free to review.


	22. The Realm of the Almighty

This chapter is again mostly talking, but it has more backstory.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Dragon Quest IX, those rights belong to Squaresoft.

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><p>Chapter XXI: The Realm of the Almighty<p>

The Starflight Express flew all the way to the Observatory, Arianna and her group left the train as soon as they landed. Lester breathed"I feel so alive again, I bet Apus Major would be happy to see us."

"He should be on the second floor, let's hurry and report what we saw to him" said Arianna.

As they entered the main structure of the Observatory, Jessica addressed the violet haired Celestrian"You're really from this place, aren't you?"

Arianna nodded"Yes, mortals are not usually allowed here though."

Apus Major sat at his throne-like chair when he saw the heroes and their allies"Welcome back, I feared you were lost to us, Arianna."

The younger Celestrian responded"It's good to be back again, there is something you should know about Aquila, he turned on us."

Apus Major frowned"Why would he do that? Aquila returned the Fyggs to the Observatory, that is not something a traitor would've done."

"I'd wager that he was only pretending, if what we hear just now is true" sighed Lester.

"Would you mind introducing your other companions? You've brought more people here today" said Apus Major.

The purple-haired Celestrian replied"Astrid, Raymond, Sasha, Jessica and Angelo are more of my companions, the latter two are guests from another world. Lester here seemed to know of my true nature and claimed to be my brother."

Apus Major was surprised when he noticed a familiar aura from the mysterious man"Hm? You've met a similar fate to Arianna's, have you?"

"Yes sir, a lot has happened" nodded the man.

"Would you mind telling them our story? I am not feeling very comfortable at the moment" sighed Astrid.

Lester nodded, then spoke"Arianna, I know this would be difficult to believe, but now I will tell you the full tale. My teacher was the guardian of Coffinwell, which is Astrid's hometown. I was watching over the town in my teacher's stead, when the Light Storm struck."

"You are speaking of your teacher, wouldn't you mind telling us about your family?" interrupted Sasha

The blue haired man flushed"Sorry, I must have been getting ahead of myself. Arianna, do you remember our parents?"

Arianna replied"I have no memory of my father, but my mother is one of the most beautiful Celestrian females of our race. Apus, was her name Florianna?"

Apus Major nodded"Florianna was around Corvus's age, but she was the guardian of Stornway's apprentice. Another apprentice Celestrian, Harkin, was her best friend. As you know, Celestrians very rarely concieve any children. But when a child born of our people is born, there is much rejoicing."

"You mean Lady Florianna? Wasn't that the name of your daughter, Apus?" inquired one of the recently rescued Celestrians.

The elderly Celestrian nodded"I was surprised, but pleased to learn of their union, which was shortly after finishing some tasks on the Protectorate with their respective teachers. They shared an amazing chemistry and power beyond our youngest Apprentices, which allowed them to perform feats which even astounded their masters."

Trent was astonished"If you don't mind me asking, how old were they?"

"We Celestrians age far more slowly then mortals, but even then we do not take ill easily" said the dark purple haired woman whom Arianna had rescued along with the other missing Celestrians.

Arianna addressed the older woman"Wasn't there something you needed to tell me?"

The woman nodded"I am Lady Florianna, you should already know that names, the very name of your mother."

Arianna flushed"Sorry if I didn't recognize you."

"I cannot blame you, I didn't exactly recognize you either" said Florianna.

Apus Major was surprised, but he addressed Florianna"It's been a long time, how fare thee?"

"Just the same, the empire would need more then what they had to break me" smiled the older purple haired Celestrian.

Astrid, who was listening nearby, sighed"I guess I will take it from here. A terrible earthquake hit my hometown of Coffinwell, and I could see powerful flashes of light in the sky above. Trent, Alicia, before I continue to this next part of our past, I must ask that you bear with me."

Trent hesitated at first, but nodded. Alicia piped up"Please continue."

The woman nodded"Lester was well aware of the Contagion, which was sealed away in the Quarantomb. I guess his teacher taught him the history of my home village, he was keeping watch over the town as was his supposed duty to his master."

"But I had my sights set on Astrid, who helped refine the ancient style of fencing that Trent's father, Sir Matt taught him. The Contagion's curse struck, not long after the dreaded light storm, all but Matt's two children and the son of a renowned thief were infected by the contagion early on" interjected Lester.

"Wait a second, why the heck didn't you stop the Ragin' Contagion yourself?" exclaimed Trent.

Lester looked at him sadly"The Contagion's power could not be easily contained, and I expended my power to save Astrid from her friends' fate. This was not long after her children left to avoid the curse, my friends."

"So as punishment, you lost your powers, and your halo and wings" whispered Arianna.

Lester shook his head"I still have a small bit of Celestrian magic left deep within me. I believe the loss of our wings and halos to be the work of another higher power. Anyway, as we met outside the village to discuss a way to resolve our quandaries when we were ambushed by Sluggers and other monsters."

Astrid continued"Sir Aquila had somehow become visible when he saw me and Lester. He saved us from the encroaching monsters, and we formuladed a plan to retirieve the Fyggs and find his missing comrades. The Gittish Empire was not part of our plan, but Aquila had me and Lester look for the Fyggs and Arianna ourselves while he attempted to deal with the empire."

"This all sounds so complicated" sighed Conrad.

"Was that too much to absorb? We have not much time for a recap" spoke Apus Major.

"No, it's okay, Apus Major. In fact, I wish to travel to the Realm of the Almighty right now, Lester and Astrid just gave me a lot ponder" requested Arianna.

Apus nodded"I shall go with you, your friends can join us if they wish."

The entire group left for the Observatory's third floor and entered the Starflight Express. Stella was surprised to see the elderly Celestrian"Arianna, who the heck is he?"

Apus Major addressed Stella"Ah, are you the Stewardess of the Celestrial Carriage? I am Apus Major, I ask that you take us to the Realm of the Almighty."

Sterling, who stood next to the controls, nodded"No problem, let's get moving."

The train, much to Trent's surprise, began to fly even higher then he thought possible. Raymond, Alicia, Sasha and Conrad gazed out the window of the passager seat at the starry skies.

"Whoa, the stars are so beautiful from here" whispered Alicia. Raymond put his arm around her as they watched the stars go by.

Trent, after a moment's hesitation, spoke"What happens exactly if a Celestrian dies?"

Arianna shifted uncomfortably at the question"Celestrians have no spirit of their own, we are merely the protective incarnations of the Almighty, or so I was told. When a Celestrian has used all of the magic power in his or her body, or is struck down in battle, he or she becomes a star in the skies as the body fades."

"It is the way we Celestrians were created, no one truly comprehands the whims of the Almighty" whispered Apus Major.

The Starflight Express flew through the starry skies, until they passed through what looked like a greenish portal that the heroes had not ever seen. On the other side was a lustrious building at the top of a set of golden stairs and platforms. Trent, Alicia, Conrad, Sasha and Raymond were astonished at the sight.

Jessica and Angelo were even more surprised, the female mage sighed"I never saw anything like this in our hometown, Angelo."

The Starflight Express landed right next to the lowest platform, the heroes and their allies disembarked to explore the strange land. Alicia whispered"Is this the fabled Realm of the Almighty?"

"There is no mistaking it, young one. Long have my people dreamt of visiting our supposed birthplace, the domain of the Almighty himself" responded the elderly Celestrian.

The group proceeded up the stairs, taking in the sight of the mystical structures of the land. The air, Conrad noticed, was hardly any different from the Protectorate.

As they traveled even closer to the temple at the uppermost platform, Arianna frowned"I sense a faded aura here, I don't sense anything in that temple over there."

"I'll go first" said Trent, putting a hand on his sword's hilt as he walked ahead.

The group entered the temple-like structure to find the nearby throne room cracked at the center. The upper platforms of the Temple of the Almighty were intact, but the crack stood before them.

Apus Major was shocked"Could the storm have struck even the Realm of the Almighty itself?"

"After all the trouble it took to get here? This is King Godwyn's doing" scowled Lester.

"No mortal can do this much damage, a higher power may be responsible for this" said Arianna, inspecting the damage.

Suddenly, a soft, female voice echoed in Arianna's head as a blue aura emmited from the throne. The voice spoke"You have arrived, children of the Almighty."

Trent was shocked"Who are you? Where are you hiding?"

The female voice replied"Do not be frightened, young man of the Protectorate. I am merely hear to speak with you all of the evil you face in the earth far below."

"I saw a vision when I prayed before the Yagdrasil Tree, I even heard voices echoing in it. Are you the woman who spoke in my dream?" inquired Arianna.

The voice replied"I am Celestria, daughter of the Almighty. I'm attempting to communicate with you through telepathy, you do not have much time to act."

"How could a Deity have children?" gasped Alicia.

Celestria replied"It is a story for another time, we have more pressing matters. The Gittish Empire's revival was caused by dark power emitting from the bowels of Gittingham Palace."

"We managed to defeat Goreham-Hogg of the Triumgorate, what's the worse thing Hootingham-Gore can do?" said Arianna.

Celestria spoke again"Goreham-Hogg was indeed the weakest of the three members of the Triumgorate, which composed of the unjust King Godwyn's finest military leaders. But beware, for your next foes will be progressively more powerful."

Trent shrugged"Between my friends and my sword, we can handle anything. I don't care what foul demon we're up against, in the name of Stornway, I would gladly offer my life. It's the least I could do for my father."

"Living up to your parents' reputation or trying to live it down is a sad waste of talent, but you can be assured that you will prevail if you work together. Arianna, you have your friends, the light within you shall indeed conquer the shadows of the Empire. Now, I must rest and watch what events may unfold" whispered Celestria.

"Wait, what of the Almighty?" inquired Alicia.

Celestria replied, albiet tiredly"He was badly injured by the light storm which struck him and this very realm. He must now rest, as his strength was sapped by the evil responsible for the light storm."

As Celestria's aura faded from the temple, Trent sighed as he put a hand on his sword"On my family's honor, I will slay the spectors of the Empire."

"The same goes for all of us, the Empire shall be punished for it's recent deeds" said Arianna.

The heroes and their allies returned to the Observatory, Apus Major addressed Arianna"I am too old to fight, you must undertake the task that you were given."

"We will do whatever it takes" whispered the violet-haired Celestrian.

Jessica spoke up"I'm a bit tired. As much as I don't want to let you all do the work, I'd say it's about time we part ways."

Angelo shrugged"Well, that's fine with me. I will simply pray for you, Arianna."

Trent nodded, then the heroes and Angelo, Jessica, Milly, Astrid and Lester entered the Express one more time. Sterling nodded as the group made their requests"Right, now is the time to strike at Gittingham Palace. First, it's back to Stornway, right?"

The Starflight Express flew down to the Protectorate, and hovered just above the ground near Stornway. Arianna and her group jumped off the train and headed for the inn.

Erinn smiled as she saw her friend"How are things going out there?"

Arianna replied"My companions and I are now making ready for a very important quest. We brought Jessica and Angelo back with us."

Jessica addressed the Innkeeper"We want to stay for two more nights."

"No problem, I kept your rooms ready for you" nodded Erinn.

Milly addressed Arianna"It was an honor to meet you, warrior of the Stars. I pray for your safety."

"The honor was mine, Milly" said Arianna.

Angelo blew a kiss towards Alicia and Sasha"Take care now, wouldn't want to mess up your pretty faces, would we?"

Jessica rolled her eyes at her male companion's flirting before addressing Trent"Well, good luck. I hope you can bring peace to this land before a war starts."

"Arianna, I need to have another word with you" said Florianna as she caught up.

"Yes?" inquired the younger violet-haired Celestrian.

Florianna replied"I would've preferred that you never put yourself in any danger at all, but I suppose that fate had other plans besides peace. If you see Aquila, tell him he'd better return because I want to have a few words with him."

"I will do my best" nodded the Warrior.

Arianna, Trent, Alicia, Raymond, Lester, Sasha, Conrad and Astrid went outside, held hands and teleported to the Gortress.

* * *

><p>The land was as barren as ever, save for the now-abandoned Gortress and the imposing capital of the Empire: The Gittingham Palace. The heroes warped to the entrance of the Gortress, where they camped for the night in preparation for the attack on their enemy's base.<p>

Trent and Alicia cooked up a salad dish from the last of their rations, which the group ate in the morning before their mission.

As they neared the gates of Gittingham Palace, a voice greeted them"Well, well, look who's escaped the Gortress. Hoo!"

Lieutenant Hootingham Gore greeted Arianna's group at the gate, accompanied by a pair of armored living statues called Bad Karmdours. The Lieutenant sneered"This is as far as you'll go, hoo! I will destroy you here."

"Think again, you won't win this time, Hootingham-Gore" said Arianna, determindly.

The bird-like Triumgorate Lieutenant launched a Tornado spell at the heroes, who barely had time to dodge Hootingham-Gore's wind spell. Raymond countered with boom, but the two Karmdours took the full brunt of the damage and charged.

"Didn't even faze him" groaned Raymond. Trent and Sasha intercepted the Bad Karmdours and challenged the monstrous living statues. Raymond took the opprotunity to hit the Trumgorate mage with Ka-Crack, only to be hit by Whirlwind in retaliation.

While Alicia healed Raymond, Arianna and Sasha hacked at one of the Bad Karmdours, blocking and dodging as it swung it's axe at them. As soon as he was healed, Raymond blasted the Karmdour with Boom.

Infuriated, the other Bad Karmdour bashed back Trent and lunged at Raymond. The Mage jumped back out of the way, while Conrad staggered the Karmdour with an arrow. Astrid and Lester joined the fight and staggered the monster even farther back, which caused it to swing it's weapon at them fiercely.

Conrad had fired a second arrow at Hootingham-Gore, who dodged and launched a full Tornado blast at the heroes. Alicia retaliated by casting Multi-Heal on her allies, while Raymond hit the Triumgorate Leiutenant with a Fire attack.

Hootingham-Gore shot a Whirlwind spell at the mage when Arianna stabbed at him. The bird-like Lieutenant blocked with a stave, the bottom of which looked like a bird's beak.

As Arianna and Hootingham-Gore dueled, Lester cast a spell on Sasha to give her an edge against the remainiing Bad Karmdour. The Paladin drove the monster back with a thrust, only to dodge the Karmdour's axe. Raymond ended the Karmdour's rampage with another bang.

Arianna had lunged whenever she could at Hootingham-Gore, but the crafty monster was as quick as she is. Fortunately, the Triumgorate mage was a spellcaster, not a fighter, so the violet haired warrior disarmed Hootingham-Gore with a mighty upward thrust of her blade.

Hootingham-Gore retaliated with a Whirlwind, which Arianna dodged while Trent slashed at the Triumgorate Lieutenant. The fallen Triumgorate mage fell to it's knee"Hoot... I commend you, but the last of the Triumgorate is the most deadly of us all, hoot!"

"Nothing the Empire does can surprise us, bird brain" said Conrad.

In a desparate strike, Hootingham-Gore cast a final tornado spell, which Alicia quickly healed with Multi-Heal. Trent put Hootingham-Gore out of his misery with a thrust of his sword. The fallen Lieutenant's body faded like Goreham-Hogg's as his spriit returned to where it had come from.

Lester addressed Arianna"I have a bad feeling about all this, Astrid and I will wait back at the Starflight Express. I don't know what Hootingham-Gore was talking about, but there is yet another obstacle to overcome."

"I know, and thank you for your help Lester" said Arianna.

Lester grinned"Ah well, it was nice to see you again. Be careful in there, all right?"

Astrid addressed Trent"Your swordsmanship has improved, your father would be proud."

"I bet" sighed the Gladiator.

Arianna shrugged"All right, those of us who are coming will enter Gittingham Palace and defeat the source of the evil wherever it may be. Alicia, how are we doing on supplies?"

"Still good, though I left most of our herbs on the Piride of Bloomingdale" said the Priestess.

"I think we can manage, what's the worst that can happen, eh?" smirked Raymond.

While Astrid and Lester returned to the Starflight Express, Arianna, Trent, Raymond, Conrad, Sasha and Alicia faced the doorway into the castle keep of Gittingham Palace. Arianna opened the door and went in first.

"I sense almost nothing in the palace, it's nothing but ruins I imagine" said Alicia.

"All right, stay alert. We don't know what we'll run into here" said the violet-haired Celestrian.

Unknown to the heroes, an unexpected surprise was lurking within the palace walls, aside from the last of the Empire's sinister shadows.

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><p>All right, I finally got this chapter up and running. I know I said I'd cover Gittingham Palace in this chapter, but that dungeon is short enough to warrant all three major enouncters for the next chapter. I threw in the fight with Hootingham-Gore for the heck of it, though.<p>

Please feel free to review.


	23. Gittingham Palace

Another chapter coming right up. Thanks, The Legend of Rune Factory for reviewing.

Disclaimers: The Dragon Quest series, especially Sentinels of the Starry Skies, were created by Squaresoft.

* * *

><p>Chapter XXII: Gittingham Palace<p>

The corridors within the castle keep of King Godwyn's once-proud domain was dim, and purple carpeting laid under Arianna and her companions's feet. Though the area was dark, the group pressed onwards.

"Don't know about you, but this castle kinda gives me the creeps" remarked Conrad.

"Don't you want to be a hero with the rest of us?" teased Raymond.

Sasha sighed"Quit Dinking around, I sense the presence of powerful monsters in the palace. I recommend that we proceed with caution."

As the Paladin spoke, three Lethal Armors greeted them at the entrance. Trent and Arianna cut one down, while Sasha speared another. The final Lethal Armor attacked Conrad, who jumped backwards and shot an arrow at the plate of the monster's armor. This staggered the Lethal Armor long enough for Trent to put it out of it's misery.

"You had to jinx us, didn't you?" griped Conrad.

Arianna interjected"Those Lethal Armors happened to be here to intercept us. Anyway, our next opponent will probably be waiting for us in the throne room, we have to work together, that means no bickering."

The trek through the lower corridors of the palace was uneventful, save for the occasional skirmish with Lethal Armors and Dark Skeletons. Raymond dispatched the Skeletons with magic, while the Lethal Armors were whacked by Trent, Arianna and Sasha.

"Those guys are a joke, where's the challenge in that?" sighed Trent.

"The monsters will likely get stronger as we approach our next destination" responded Arianna, scanning ahead for the shadows of more monsters that they may encounter.

The second floor was more or less the same as they got there, but Alicia caught sight of a bookshelf with old books in them. The Priestess addressed the violet-haired Warrior"I need a bit of time to do some research, maybe there is a book about old sages that lived in the past."

Arianna nodded"We'll wait for you on the second floor. Raymond, will you wait with her?"

The Mage smirked"Count on me, I'll even check out these books myself."

As Arianna, Conrad, Sasha and Trent went on ahead, Raymond and Aisha started examining the old bookshelf. The priestess was in the middle of examining a book when a voice called"Who might you be?"

Alicia was startled"Who's there?"

The voice spoke"Do not be alarmed, I am the Supreme Sage. I am speaking from within the most central book on the shelf."

Raymond shrugged, then grabbed the book that the mysterious Sage requested. No sooner had he opened it, the voice said"I sense potential in you and your friend, if you wish, I can bestow upon you the power of a sage."

"Really?" inquired the Priestess.

The Sage replied"Yes, but to formally become a Sage, you must undergo the rite at Alltrades Abbey. The powers of the Sage will become known to you, then."

"We will accept your offer" said Raymond.

The mysterious sage unleashed a gentle tide of energy into the pair, Aisha and Raymond began to feel magic power coursing in their veins. When it was over, the sage spoke"That is all I can do for you now, I must rest. Good luck."

Aisha put back the book after the sage was done speaking, she addressed Raymond"It looks like we're another step closer to becoming potential Sages."

"No sweat, so now what?" said the Mage.

The Priestess replied"We have to catch up to the others. We'll have to change our Vocations later."

* * *

><p>Arianna, Trent, Conrad, and Sasha had reached the terrace where they came across a Boss Troll and two Fright Knights. Trent drew his sword"This dosen't look easy."<p>

"I hear you" said Arianna, drawing her own sword and unleashing Gigaslash. The attack wiped out the Fright Knights, but the monsterous Boss Troll was tougher. The monster clumsily swung it's club at Arianna, who dodged. Conrad shot the monster between the eyes, staggering it long enough for Sasha to spear it.

"Ha! That was nothing" said Trent.

The team crossed the terrace, making their way to a doorway at another part of the castle's exterior. Just when they arrived, Aisha and Raymond caught up. Conrad greeted them"How did it go?"

Alicia explained to Arianna about the mysterious Supreme Sage who had spoken out of the pages of a book. Arianna frowned"Might be worth checking out, but right now let's move on."

In the next room however, they ran into a Blastoad. Trent swung his blade, but the monster dodged and launched explosives from it's attatched rocket. The heroes dodged, after which Raymond countered with Ka-Crack. Blastoad unleashed another explosive attack, which Sasha and Trent countered with their blades.

After the monster fell, the six entered the next room and headed up another flight of stairs. Trent sighed"Those things are boring, would you think?"

Aisha replied"The monsters here are almost no challenge for the most part, but I sense a worthy adversary ahead."

The door on the third floor led once again to the castle terrace, up ahead were a flight of stairs leading up to a set of double doors. A voice greeted them"Gr, I sense more intruders. Purrchance that would be you?"

The group stood their ground as another humanoid walked towards them. The humanoid in question stood before them, in the form of a half-man, half-leopard dressed in a bluish outfit with a hat. A sword hung by it's waste in it's sheathe.

"Are you a Triumgorate Lieutenant?" inquired Trent, not letting his guard down.

The being replied, it's voice sounding a bit more like a cat then a man"Precisely, I am Goresby-Purrvis, a Master sswordsman of the Empire. I was the strongest swordsman in my time, I sssought to challenge worthy adversaries."

Trent drew his sword"I heard of you, now you mention it. I aim to be the best swordsman myself, but unlike you I have no intention of using my talents for evil."

Goresby-Purrvis was surprised at the Gladiator's words"Truly? Hmph, I'll have you know I serve King Godwyn, he is in the room behind me."

"Was it okay for you to tell us?" said Arianna, surprised.

The leopard-like Lieutenant drew his own sword, responding with a slight hiss in his voice"No, but before we face each other in battle, I must know your names."

The Gladiator shrugged"I'm Trent, son of Sir Matt, a former knight of Stornway. Goresby-Purrvis, I accept your challenge."

"To the death!" growled Goresby, the two swordsmen lunged at each other. Trent swing his sword first, but the feline-like Lieutenant dodged and slashed at the Gladiator's arm. Trent nearly yelled in pain, taking the time to quickly eat a heal herb before countering with a falcon slash.

Goresby-Purrvis let out a string of multiple slashes with his sword, Trent had to struggle to keep up with the Triumgorate Swordsman as they weaved around each other's blows.

"Trent won't last, let's get in the action" said Arianna, charging forward and launching a Gigaslash attack on Goresby-Purrvis. The Lieutenant saw that coming and countered by jumping over the wave and attacked with a with a thrust at her heart. Conrad shoved Arianna out of the way, taking the blow to the thigh.

Sasha used a basic heal spell on Conrad, before multi-striking Purrvis with her lance. The lieutenant expertly dodged before swinging horizontally at the Paladin and the Ranger. Alicia cast Multi-Heal on her allies, while Raymond attacked Goresby-Purrvis with Ka-Crack.

"This guy clearly has the agility and arrogance of some kind of persian cat" groaned Conrad, firing an arrow at his allies' opponent. The Triumgorate Lieutenant dodged and thrust at Conrad, who drew his dagger and parried the longer sword. Raymond cast a Boom spell, blasting the feline-like swordsman.

Purrvis survived with singed fur and thrust at the mage, Raymond barely dodged before getting nicked by the tip of the feline swordsman's blade. Arianna swung her sword at Purrvis, who parried and vertically slashed downward. The Celestrian blocked and jabbed at the lieutenant's thigh. Purrvis dodged and disarmed her with a sudden upward thrust.

Trent quickly got back into the action while Raymond and Conrad took a breather. Arianna went to retrieve her sword while Trent parried Purrvis's attacks and thrust his own sword at the monster. Purrvis dodged again to meet with another Boom spell from Raymond. Trent took the opprotunity to thrust his sword at the feline-like lieutenant.

The mortal blow brought Goresby-Purrvis to his knees"Impressive, though you are six, you fought as one. But beware, even if I should fall in battle, you cannot withstand the might of the king."

"Even though we are on different sides, it was kind of an honor to cross blades with a master swordsman from the past" said Trent.

Purrvis hissed, getting back onto his feet despite his injury"It was a well-fought battle, I give you that. Now, shall we determine the death-blow?"

With that, Purrvis charged at Trent with his sword. The movement was sloppy however due to the lieutenant's injury, as Trent dodged and finished Purrvis off with a thrust to the heart.

"Lost souls of the empire, may you rest in peace for good" whispered Arianna, as Goresby-Purrvis's body vanished in the same manner as his fellow Triumgorate members.

Alicia made sure her friends were healed from their injuries, while Trent wiped the tip of his sword. The Gladiator sighed"Didn't think he was so tough."

"He was a master swordsman, so I'm not surprised" said Sasha.

Arianna gazed at the double doors that Purrvis was guarding"Right, time to end this and put the last of the Empire back into the grave."

* * *

><p>The throne room beyond was no different from the lower floors and chambers of the rest of Gittingham Palace. Arianna and her group entered to find a startling sight. Aquila was inside, and the older Celestrian was not alone. In front of the rest of the group was a man in blue and yellow robes. In his hand was a sceptor of the House of Gitt.<p>

The man, who could only be King Godwyn, addressed Aquila"So you brought the Fyggs?"

The bald celestrian nodded, withdrawing seven yellow fruits from his pocket and laying them before the King of the Gittish Empire. The king sneered"You have done well."

"Master Aquila" Arianna approached the bald Celestrian.

Aquila turned and was none too surprised to see his apprentice alive and well"So you surived, I am glad."

Arianna nodded"Yes, but I have a question. What's going on here?"

"Is this not obvious? You should be able to sense whether there was power or not in the fruits I have presented to that man. Now, unfortunately, there is no time to talk" replied Aquila, turning back to King Godwyn.

The Gittish king raised an eyebrow"What treachery might this be? Hm, no matter, I shall simply erase you all."

Trent, Conrad, Sasha, Raymond and Alicia gathered around Aquila and Arianna. Alicia spoke coolly to King Godwyn"Now you have to deal with all of us."

"That's right, Loser!" added Trent.

Aquila drew his sword"Leave this to me."

"Oh? You really think you can defeat me?" growled King Godwyn, firing a Blast spell at the entire group. Alicia cast multi-heal on her allies, while Aquila launched himself at the king. The man saw that coming however, and flung a magical ball from his staff. The sphere collided into Aquila, knocking the older Celestrian down.

Raymond cast Boom on King Godwyn, who retaliated by flinging the sphere from his staff again and casting a high powered spell. Alicia cast another Multi-Heal on her allies, while Conrad shot an arrow at King Godwyn. While the vile king was distracted, Raymond cast Ka-Boom on him. Trent seized the moment to slam his sword into the dark being.

"That was too easy" remarked Conrad, watching King Godwyn as he seemingly fell dead on his throne.

Aquila addressed his apprentice"As you can see, I pretended to serve the empire so I could get close to King Godwyn and assassinate him. Arianna, I had not expected your timely assistance in my affair after our encounter on the Celestrial Carriage."

"Why couldn't you just ask us to help?" said Raymond.

Aquila replied"I had not much choice at the time, I couldn't blow my cover until I could defeat the king."

"It's not over yet" came King Godwyn's voice from the battered corpse of his body, which began to mutate in front of the heroes eyes. A flash of light covered the room for a second, as King Godwyn's body was replaced by a red, yellow and blue serpentine monster.

"Can't stay down, can you?" shouted Trent.

The King's new form fired a high-powered fireball at Arianna, which Aquila intercepted by standing in front of his apprentice. The impact of the spell sent the older Celestrian flying overhead and landing on the floor beneath the stairs.

Arianna had watched in horror as the spell blasted her teacher and turned to face King Godwyn"You Despicable Snake!"

"A snake am I! I'll show you snake-like I can be!" King Godwyn shot another spell at Arianna, who side stepped and thrusted her sword at the monster. The monster dodged and hit Arianna with a Boom spell.

Alicia healed the violet-haired Celestrian, while Trent and Conrad took to the field. The Ranger fired an arrow while Trent thrust at King Godwyn. The monster shrugged off the blows and fired a multi-hit Ka-Crack. Alicia cast another multi-heal on her allies, while Raymond cast Boom on the transformed king.

King Godwyn unleashed a Boom spell of his own, which Alicia healed with Multi-Heal. The Priestess then attempted to shield her allies with defensive spells, which were nullified by an enchanted wave of magic energy from the king.

"This guy's tough, our protective spells are useless here" gasped Raymond.

Trent falcon-slashed King Godwyn, only to be countered by a fireball. Alicia healed her brother while Conrad shot another arrow at the evil king. Godwyn sneered as he fired another Boom spell"Surrender now, you cannot best me."

"Not on your life" said Arianna quietly, lunging with an upward thrust. King Godwyn hissed in pain before countering with another high powered spell.

"Oh no it dosen't" Aquila had gotten back on his feet with a severe burn on his chest, he flew in and took the blow for his apprentice once more. This time, both Celestrians were sent flying backwards.

Trent attacked the monster with another falcon slash, while Sasha charged at King Godwyn with her lance. The piercing blow caused King Godwyn's monster form to howl in pain long enough for the Gladiator to finish him off with a final Falcon Slash.

The slain monster form of King Godwyn collapsed onto the ground, turned black and vanished into a blanket of dust and magic. Sasha closed her eyes for a brief moment"No matter how evil you may have been, may you rest in peace for eternity this time."

"Look, he left something" said Alicia, spotting King Godwyn's Scepter.

"I'll take that" said Raymond, picking up the stave and putting it into his bag.

Alicia, Trent and Conrad raced back downstairs to find Arianna tending to her mortally injured teacher. The younger Celestrian addressed the Priestess"Is it over then? Can you help me save Aquila?"

Alicia glanced to where Arianna had indicated. The Priestess grimaced at the sight of the injury of the now-visible man"This wound is fatal, there is nothing much I can do, except possibly-"

The Priestess stopped mid-sentence, channeled magic energy into the air and cast a high-powered heal spell on the injury that Aquila had recieved. The elder Celestrian grunted"Ugh... Arianna, everyone, I am relieved."

"Please don't talk, we have to heal you, my mom wanted to speak to you" pleaded Arianna softly.

Aquila sighed"You rescued Florianna, then? I am glad to hear of it. Arianna, no spell can undo this injury, I have taken far too much magical damage and expended the magic in my body. Everyone else, thank you for your aid. The remaining captive Celestrians are held in the dungeons beneath this room."

Trent glanced at a set of stairs near the throne"I see what you mean."

Aquila nodded"Then go and free everyone who is held down there. I know this because I stole the information from the king. Arianna, I will be with you in spirit. I couldn't have been more proud of my apprentice."

Before the heroes' eyes, Aquila closed his and disappeared in a flash of magic as his body faded into thin air. Arianna glanced down at the spot where her teacher died"Master... I swear, I will free the remaining captives. Rest in peace, Master Aquila." A tear ran down Arianna's cheeck as she spoke.

After a brief moment of silence, Trent spoke"Now might not be a good time to say this, but that was the first time I saw you so angry back there."

The violet haired Celestrian sighed as she took a moment to compose herself"As I said, Master Aquila was like a father to me. Harkin left and was never seen again shortly after my birth."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's head down" said Conrad.

The group headed down two more flights of stairs to find themselves in a damp corridor beneath Gittingham Palace. As they explored the dungeons, they soon found a row of cells where Arianna sensed the prescence of more Celestrians. Arianna took out the key and opened each cell door to find the rest of the missing Celestrians.

"Thank your for your aid" said one of the captives.

"No problem" responded Conrad.

Arianna glanced at another set of stairs, then addressed the Priestess"Alicia, Sasha, Conrad, Raymond, would you escort the hostages to the blue tree where the Starflight Express is waiting? There is something I need to investigate."

"Will do, just be careful" replied Alicia.

The Gladiator and the Warrior trudged downstairs and down another corridor. At it's end, in the final room, they saw an astonishnig sight. Bound by chains, looking downward was a man with part-devil and part-angel wings, a contorted face, messy blond hair and a slightly less then musculer body. Arianna sensed great power emitting from the man.

"Who is that?" whispered Trent.

The man, despite chains holding him, stood up to greet the newcomers. Arianna could tell that this was one unhappy soul as he spoke"Hm, how long has it been since I stood before the prescence of another? A Celestrian no less."

"Aren't you a Celestrian?" said Trent, timidly.

The man coldly replied"It matters not anymore. Not to I, Corvus, who was once called 'Celestrian'".

Arianna was shocked to see Corvus as he came into the light, breaking his own chains with magic"The Gittish Empire fell once more, then? No matter, soon the world shall know my vengeance."

Trent was shocked as he put two and two together"So that light storm in Arianna's home, and the earthquake on the land, that was your doing?"

Corvus coolly replied"Both Celestrians and mortals matter not to me, I shall become the Almighty and destroy everything."

"Not if we can help it, you'll pay for causing the death of my father and so many others!" retorted Trent.

Corvus shot a thunder spell at Trent, knocking him down"Insolence gets you nowhere, I shall give you a taste of my power."

Arianna went for her sword, only for the mysterious force to freeze her in place. Corvus was not surprised"Celestrians can't act against superiors, if I recall correctly."

Trent stood in front of the violet-haired warrior"Why are you doing all this? Didn't you know that Serena was looking for you?"

Corvus snarled and launched a thunder spell on the pair. The Gladiator got back on his feet and feebly charged at the evil Celestrian. Corvus easily intercepted with another thunder spell"I tire of this, you two shall bear witness as I proceed with my bid to destroy everything!"

With that, the former Guardian of Wormwood Creek teleported away. As Trent struggled to get on his feet, Arianna rushed to support him"Sorry I was unable to help."

Serena's ghost entered the room"Huh, I was too late. I'll keep looking elsewhere."

As Serena left the room, Arianna healed Trent before the two teleported out of the dungeon with an Evac spell. Once outside, they were greeted by Alicia"Did something happen down there? You're out of shape, Trent."

The Gladiator sighed"We found the one responsible for the damage done to the Observatory and our planet. I'll tell you later, we have to go to the Observatory and report all this."

Arianna shook her head"She has to know now, our enemy was Corvus all along. The Gittish Empire's reincarnations were merely pawns in his attempt to destroy the Protectorate."

Alicia's eyes widened, she could hardly believe what she just heard. The Guardian of Wormwood Creek had become corrupt over the long years of his captivity.

* * *

><p>Thought I'd end this in a cliffhanger. Oh, and about any mispellings in some of the dialogue, that's on purpose. In the game, each of the Triumgorate members had an accent, I believe. Well, Goreham-Hogg probably didn't, It's been a while since I played the storyline.<p>

If any of the story characters were OOC, I apologize. I thought about having Aquila 'live' in this chapter, contary to the game. But then again, if Aquila survived the storyline, he probably wouldn't have been playable, because he would've joined the other Celestrians as a star in the skies of that game.

If it's still not that easy to read, sorry. Anyway, I need to think about whether or not all of my OCs should make it to the end of the storyline. I know I said I'd temporarily use them, but I thought they'd still play a minor role anyway.

Please feel free to review.


	24. The Distorted Realm

Mike AZ 2 here, just two more chapters and the main story arc is finished. Oh, and as a reminder, " indicates spoken dialogue, ' represents thoughts, and _ is change in point of view, or lapse in time.

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to the Dragon Quest series. That is Squaresoft's work.

* * *

><p>Chapter XXIII: The Distorted Realm<p>

Trent and Arianna filled their allies on what they uncovered at Gittingham Palace. When they returned to the Starflight Express, Lester inquired"Did anything happen?"

"Yes, and it isn't too good. The Gittish Empire was not the sole force behind this madness" said Alicia, still in disbelief over Corvus's betrayal.

"All this time, our true opponent was the Guardian of Wormwood Creek. Arianna, do you have a plan?" said Sasha.

Arianna shook her head"I could not overpower Corvus, our best option for now is to return to the Observatory. We'll let Apus Major know about Corvus's madness, although I cannot entirely blame him. I can't see how anyone would stay sane in such captivity."

Trent addressed Sterling"We've decided, we must go back to the Observatory."

"I hear you. Stella, we're taking off" said the older man.

The Starflight Express flew upward and higher until they reached the uppermost platform of their destination. Trent, who was polishing his blade, said"I just had a thought, what if there is nothing to be done?"

"I do not know, but we have to find a way to stop Corvus" sighed Arianna.

The moment the group reached Apus's room, Florianna greeted them"How did it go?"

"It was a near disaster" sighed Arianna.

"What has happened?" inquired Apus, approaching the group.

Arianna replied as best she could"My companions I located Corvus in the bowels of Gittingham Palace, but something was wrong. The Guardian of Wormwood Creek has lost himself in his madness, and was the one responsible for the light storm which breached the Observatory."

Florianna put a hand on the violet-haired warrior's shoulder"I thought as much, even as I did my best to help Aquila save him. If Corvus has lost himself in hatred, I fear he may be beyond salvation."

Alicia continued"Arianna found that Corvus has targeted the Almighty, and is headed for his realm. As impossible as this may sound, he intends to steal the Almighty's powers and destroy us all."

Apus shook his head sadly"Unfortunate. But alas, if Corvus has by now gained the powers of the Almighty, even I cannot outrank him. There is nothing to be done."

"So we should just lay down and give up? We can't let Corvus do this to the world, Stornway and Gleeba are surely in danger now" protested Trent.

"Calm down, Trent. If even Apus Major is unable to help, I must go pray" sighed Arianna, walking out of the room.

Trent and Alicia glanced at each other. Florianna shook her head sadly"What good is standing by and doing nothing? I'm going outside for some fresh air. Lester, will you join me?"

"Of course" nodded the other man.

* * *

><p>Outside, on the uppermost platform, Arianna approached the Yagdrasil Tree one more time and knelt before it. As the Celestrian prayed for the better part of an hour, the rest of the group caught up, accompanied by Florianna. Conrad spoke"Hey, what's up?"<p>

"Don't bother her, she's in the middle of prayer right now" whispered Florianna.

Another minute passed until the voice of Celestria echoed in Arianna's mind"I have heard everything."

Another familiar voice spoke with the Yagdrasil"Celestria, long have you tended to the Protectorate and gathered unto you the sacred Fyggs. Now, you must reveal yourself."

Within moments, the Yagdrasil Tree glowed, even as Arianna stood up and stepped backwards. A dazling light shone at the Yagdrasil Tree, and when it dissapated, a woman with blond hair with a green tiara wrapped around her head stood in it's place. The woman's clothes were pink and white.

"Lady Celestria, I presume?" whispered Alicia.

The older blond woman nodded"Yes, I am the embodiment of that which looked after the Protectorate for so many years, the Celestrians were descended from myself. It is I, Celestria, daughter of Zenus."

"So you were the female voice I heard in a vision" whispered Arianna.

Celestria nodded"Yes. You see, my father lost faith in the Protectorate's inhabitants and tried to destroy it. I intervened, and transformed into Yagdrasil until such time it was proven the mortals still have goodness in their hearts."

"That sounds absurd. Surely the Almighty would never do anything like that" sighed Alicia.

Trent shook his head"Well, guess there is less we kow about him then we thought."

Celestria addressed Arianna"Under these circumstances, it would likely be impossible to stop Corvus. However, just think of the people down on the Protectorate. So many more tragedies would've happened then those you have prevented were it not for you and your companions' intervention."

"What's that got to do what we must now do?" inquired Sasha.

Celestria replied"It is now their turn to help, there is still a chance that the Protectorate can be saved. Arianna, watch closely and open your ears to the sound of prayers, an eighth fygg will be created to use in the upcoming battle."

The young Celestrian closed her eyes, as she found herself surrounded by a glowing light. Trent, Alicia, Sasha, Conrad and Raymond were astonished to see a familiar golden fruit come into view from thin air within moments.

Amazed, but surprised at the same time, Arianna collected the fruit. Celestria continued to instruct Arianna"Celestrians cannot act against superiors, but this can be overcome by the power of the fygg. Arianna, you must become mortal."

"W-what? I mean no disrespect, but that would mean she can't see me or Lady Florianna again" protested Lester.

Celestria shot an annoyed glance at him"Perhaps you'd like to take her place."

"Lady Celestria is right, I would only be a hinderance if we come across Corvus and I am unable to act. Trent, our quest is nearly over, all that's left is to travel back to the Realm of the Almighty and do what needs to be done" said the purple haired Warrior.

"We will do what we can, for Stornway and Gleeba, the surviving kingdoms on the Protectorate" said Trent.

Arianna surveyed her clothes and her companions' slight battle injuries"Actually, we can all use a break right now. Trent, we will take a 24 hour intermission. Enjoy your break everyone, because we won't get another one until after the final battle."

"All right, let's all get some rest" said Alicia.

The six heroes returned to the Starflight Express. Sterling addressed the Celestrian"So what's the plan?"

Arianna replied"Celestria has given me a Fygg, which I can use to turn myself mortal when we are ready. For now, could you drop us off at Stornway? We'll meet up at Newid Island."

"Heh, that's what I call a plan. All right, let's move out, I just won't take us to the Realm of the Almighty until you're ready" responded Sterling. Though Arianna and Sterling were the only ones who can see her, Stella had a slight morbid look on her face.

* * *

><p>The six heroes landed at Stornway, splitting up once they were inside the town. Trent and Arianna entered the Quester's Rest, where Erinn greeted them"Hi, is everything?"<p>

"We've been a little busy, I couldn't visit very often" said Arianna, putting down some coins for staying the night.

Trent went over to talk to Sellma"Hey, I'm still thinking about buying that lance. Any chance you could tone down the price a bit?"

The blond saleswoman blinked"Oh? Sorry, I don't usually make deals with cheapskates. But pray tell, how much cash have you got on you right now?"

Conrad put down a mini-medal and some gold"How about this?"

Sellma inspected the payment about that Conrad gave her before replying"I suppose I could lower the price for you. I won't charge you the full price this time, but I have to make a living too, you know."

The Saleswoman then took the Celestial Lance out of her sack and handed it to Trent"Take good care of it."

"I'll do my best" shrugged the Gladiator.

Trent, Arianna, Sasha and Conrad retired to the suites for the night after buying some soup for dinner.

* * *

><p>At Stornway's item shop, the mage Raymond browsed their selection. The woman behind the counter inquired"Can I help you with something?"<p>

Raymond flushed, then replied"Yeah, do you sell rings in this store?"

"You bet. But why do you ask?" inquired the Shopkeeer.

The Mage flushed before turning his gaze to a selection of fancy rings with a jewel on each one. After a few minutes, the mage pointed to a silver band with a emerald on the top"I'd like to buy this."

"Excellent choice, sir. That will be five hundred gold" nodded the Shopkeeper.

Raymond paid the woman, recieved the ring from her and left the shop. The Priestess met with him outside"Do you mind telling me what the meaning of this is?"

"It's kind of a secret, I'll tell you some other time. Want to walk around the town for a bit?" flushed the Mage.

Alicia nodded"I'd like that, I just bought some fresh herbs."

* * *

><p>Trent and Arianna were making ready to rest in their shared room at the inn. The Gladiator inquired"Hey, when this is all over, do you have anything in mind?"<p>

The female warrior replied"The Fygg may be our ticket to saving the world, but it's unlikely I'll be able to live in the Observatory anymore once I become a Mortal. Trent, what about you?"

The Gladiator flushed"I don't know, but there is something else that's on my mind. Arianna, I only wish I could wish my feelings away, but I can't. I just can't seem to help what I feel, even through all our travels together."

"The human heart is so complicated, but Celestrians are hardly any different in that category. Trent, we wouldn't have been meant for each other if not for Corvus. That's pretty ironic, don't you think?" sighed Arianna.

"So you like me?" inquired the Gladiator.

"Trent, what does your heart tell you? Our partnership will yet endure, but do not let this think that I have not returned your feelings. But now is not really a good time to talk about love" sighed the Celestrian.

Trent walked over to Arianna's bed and tenderly ran a hand through her hair"I just can't really help it unless we're in the middle of the action somewhere. You're the prettiest girl on the Protectorate."

Arianna shoved Trent's hand away"Stop it, you're making me blush, that was just real smug of you. At any rate, we best rest while we can. Corvus won't wait forever."

"Yeah, and this time we'll put him in his place, good night" said Trent.

The pair drifted off to sleep in their beds, oblivious to Florianna and Apus Major watching them, invisible to mortal eyes. The older Celestrian woman sighed"There's just not one man I would've thought was good enough for her, either on the Protectorate or the Observatory."

Apus chuckled"I thought the same about you and Harkin, Florianna."

Florianna sighed"Well, they come pretty close. Apus, I heard Lady Celestria speak with Arianna, and wish to accompany her on her group's last mission in the starry skies."

The elderly Celestrian replied"The choice is up to you and Arianna. As I fear, however, the chances of stopping Corvus are very slim."

"I know, but there is always a chance" sighed Florianna.

* * *

><p>The following day, the six heroes had a rousing breakfast in the parlor before heading to Newid Island. Alicia addressed Arianna"Mind if we make a quick stop to Alltrades Abbey?"<p>

"We should go prepared, I won't stop you" nodded the Celestrian.

Trent, Conrad, Sasha, Arianna, Alicia and Raymond entered the abbey and approached Abbott Jack. The old man addressed them"Yes? What can I do for you?"

Alicia respectfully replied"I wish to become a sage, Raymond and I uncovered the secrets at Gittingham Palace."

Jack of Alltrades was surprised"Truly? Well, let's try it then. But if the Almighty dosen't deem you worthy, that would mean you still have much to learn."

Trent, Conrad, Arianna and Alicia stood back, whle the two mages stood before the old man. Abbott Jack spoke"Oh Benevolent Almighty, I beseech thee guide Alicia and Raymond on their new paths in life."

Celestria heard the Abbott, and decided to humor him some more since her father was inactive. A warm glow surrounded Alicia and Raymond, as vast magical energy entered their bodies. When the glow subsided, the Priestess and Mage felt the powers of the Sage course throughout their bodies.

"How does it feel?" inquired Conrad.

Alicia sighed"I expected no less, I can use stronger healing magic now."

Raymond breathed"My magic potency has doubled, but I felt a bit of a tingle for a moment."

"Ah, yes, that can happen when one employs one of the most powerful vocations known to man. Everyone, I bid you good luck" said Abbott Jack.

Arianna and her group thanked the abbott and returned to the Starflight Express. Arianna addressed Stella"I need to make one more stop at the Observatory before going after Corvus."

Stella nodded"Sure thing, but why the flap must you become a mortal?"

"Celestrians can't act against superiors. Surely everyone living in the Starry Skies know that?" remarked Raymond.

The train flew and landed on the highest platform on the Observatory. When the group exited the train to take one last look at the sight, Florianna, Lester and Astrid approached them.

"What's up?" inquired Trent.

Florianna replied"Apus Major reluctantly gave us permission to join you for this flight. I cannot assist you directly in the final battle, as I can assume what Lady Celestria's plan is. Arianna, since I couldn't really give you the care I owed you as a parent, let's go together this time."

Arianna took a deep breath, then nodded"Yes, but I fear this will be the last time I can see you again. The fygg's power may allow me to combat Corvus, but you know as I do that Mortals are normally unable to see Celestrians."

Florianna smiled"I'll always be in your heart, now let's go to the Realm of the Almighty."

"Right, we're joining forces for at least this one last battle" said Lester.

The two groups entered the Starflight Express together. Arianna reached into her pack and pulled out the golden fruit, Stella was astonished"Why?"

"It must be done if Arianna is to fight beside her companions and save the world" said Florianna.

The violet haired Celestrian glanced around, then said"Actually, I could share the Fygg with you and Lester, mother. The fruit's power should be able to transform all three of us."

The older female Celestrian shook her head"It is your destiny, though I am loathe to relinquish you after nigh a decade apart. Now, if you are ready, let us make ready for the upcoming confrontation."

Arianna nodded understandingly, took another deep breath, and bit into the Fygg. Stella watched with sadness in her eyes as the young Celestrian consumed the last of the golden fruit. The fairy timidly inquired"Can you hear me?"

The Celestrian nodded. Sterling spoke"Well, for now it seems that you can, since you replied."

"So maybe your wish didn't come true" piped Stella.

"These things take time, good wishes are not something that should be rushed" said Florianna.

Trent glanced at Arianna, who glanced back. The pair gazed into each other's eyes for a moment, before the violet haired warrior addressed Stella and Sterling"We're prepared to head for the Realm of the Almighty."

"Got'cha" nodded Stella, activating the Starflight Express. As the train took off, Alicia and Raymond took another look at the sky. Trent stood at Arianna's side as the Starflight Express flew on towards it's destination.

As they gpt close to the Realm of the Almighty, the place had begun to transform before the heroes' eyes. The landscape seemed to have grown beneath the Palace of the Almighty, and a large tree-like base now bore it. The rest of the platforms had turned dark purple and pink.

"Ugh, I gotta say that I find his taste in evil fortresses flapping disturbing" sighed Stella.

Florianna reached into her bag and handed a pristine sword to Arianna"Your powers are weakening somewhat now that you're becoming Mortal. This Miracle Sword restores vitality to those who wield it, will serve you well. I ask that you relinquish the Dragon Sword."

Arianna nodded, and the two swapped blades.

Trent stepped ahead of the group to get a better look at the tower that was the Realm of the Almighty"Looks freaky to me. That tree-like tower's got some kind of clock in the middle."

"All right team, let's move out" said Arianna.

Florianna nodded as herself, Astrid and Lester stood in a line next to Arianna's group"Lead the way."

The Realm of the Mighty was a maze of caverns and platforms, which the two groups carefully navigated. As they climbed to the third floor and a massive chamber, Arianna saw a familiar face waiting for them. It was Goreham-Hogg.

"Heh, I've just been waiting for you. Now I'll crush you all!" chortled Goreham-Hogg as several monsters called Belisha Beacons.

"Boom!" Raymond's spell wiped out most of the monsters. A remaining Belisha Beacon cast bounce on itself and Goreham-Hogg. Conrad shot it down, while Trent engaged the hogg. Goreham swung it's mace at Trent, who dodged and coolly speared the Triumgorate Lieutenant with his new lance.

As Goreham-Hogg's body vanished, Florianna shook her head"Corvus must have really lost himself in hatred to do such a thing."

"No kidding" sighed Sasha.

The team continued climbing until they ran into Hootingham-Gore. The bird-like Lieutenant cast whirlwind at the heroes. Alicia blocked the spell with a magic barrier, while Raymond countered with Boom.

Hootingham-Gore countered with another powerful wind spell before being stabbed in the back by Florianna. The blow fell the bird-like Lieutenant, again releasing the sprit of the human being he once was.

Alicia sighed as she healed her comrades with Multi-Heal"Why does it have to be so hard to get to Corvus?"

"I don't know, but we have to keep moving" said Arianna.

The climb to the top floor proved more of a challenge as the heroes ran into a vast monster horde consisting of some Great Trolls, Night Knights, and Cureslimes.

"Bang!" Raymond's spell took the horde off guard, knocking down the Cureslimes. The Night Knights charged, only to be intercepted by Trent, Arianna and Sasha.

Florianna dodged as a Great Troll swung it's club at her, striking back with a thrust while she was at it. The monster staggered back, and was finished off by an arrow from Conrad's bow.

Two more of the giant monsters were wiped out by Lester and Astrid. Trent blocked and parried the Night Knight's blows before finishing him off with a Falcon Slash.

Arianna and Sasha toyed with their opponents before dispatching them with equal ease. Trent shrugged"Reckon this is all Corvus can conjure?"

"I don't think it's over yet" said Raymond, blasing aside more Cureslimes and two Night Knights with his magic.

The top floor of the Realm of the Mighty revealed a view of the palace itself, the sky above was blazing with a purple color. Trent drew his sword"This is it."

As they got closer. the heroes ran into the last member of the Triumgorate. Goresby-Purrvis was scowling in front of the entrance to the palace. Trent was astonished"Are you Corvus's lapdog now?"

Purrvis hissed"I serve none but the house of Gitt, to say I serve another is an insult."

"Why don't you help us defeat Corvus, then?" said Arianna.

Goresby-Purrvis shook his head"As there is no head of House Gitt alive at present, and I vowed to serve none but the Gittish Empire, I am up for a re-match against you."

With that, the feline-like Triumgorate Leiutenant drew his own blade and swung it at Trent. The Gladiator parried the blow and countered with a lunge. Goresby-Purrvis dodged and swung his sword so rapidly that Trent was hard-pressed to block all of the other swordsman's attacks.

Seeing the Gladiator get a blow to the chest, Arianna and Conrad darted forward. Purrvis dodged as Arianna thrusted at him with her sword and was nicked by an arrow to the shoulder.

The furious feline-like Lieutenant thrusted his blade at Arianna, who dodged while Alicia healed Trent. Sasha struck at Purrvis with her lance, but the feline swordsman blocked the blow and stabbed at the Paladin.

Conrad knocked Sasha out of the way while Trent slashed at Purrvis. Goresby countered with a thrust to Trent's shoulder, and was blasted back by a Zammel spell from Raymond.

Goresby-Purrvis lunged one last time at Trent, who parried the attack and struck a blow to the Triumgorate lieutenant's neck. The fallen monster fell once and for all, vanishing into thin air.

Florianna turned around, catching Conrad's curiosity"What's up?"

"I sense the remaining monster horde charging to our location, Corvus must have set a trap for us. I wondered why this was so easy" sighed the older purple-haired Celestrian.

"We'll drive them back" said Trent.

Florianna shook her head"No, Corvus is up ahead, we need not clear all of the monsters from the defiled realm. I would be helpless before Corvus anyhow, it pained me to see a fellow Celestrian sink so low."

Lester stood by Florianna's side"Count me in, we'll keep the monster horde occupied."

"I'm in too, we'll each do our part" said Astrid, facing the not-so-distant gap leading back to the lower floors.

"But why would Corvus set so many monsters against us?" frowned Alicia.

"To limit how many of us go against him" said Trent, understanding the simplicity of the tactic.

Conrad and Sasha stood together with Florianna's group. The Ranger grinned at Trent"Give Corvus one for me, will ya'?"

Even as they spoke, a mass of Night Knights, Trolls, Cureslimes and Belisha Beacons slowly advanced onto their location. Florianna glanced at her daughter"Be careful."

"We'll be fine" said Arianna.

As Florianna, Lester, Astrid, Conrad and Sasha went down to intercept the last of the monsters in the tainted realm, the rest of the group advanced into the Palace of the Mighty. The place hadn't changed since their last visit.

"Corvus is likely at the second floor" said Arianna, rushing up the stairs with Trent, Alicia and Raymond following.

* * *

><p>Florianna's group headed down until they reached the area where Goreham-Hogg was defeated a second time, where they encountered the monsters that the oldest Celestrian in the group sensed.<p>

"Are you sure this will work?" paled Conrad.

"It's too late to chicken out, all we can do is buy Arianna some time" replied the Paladin.

As the first wave of Night Knights appeared, Florianna and Lester charged into the mass. Conrad, Astrid and Sasha began to follow, when two Cureslimes and a Great Troll got in their way.

Conrad jumped backwards and shot at the Great Troll, which countered with a massive swipe of it's club. Astrid and Sasha took out the Cureslimes while Conrad shot another arrow at his opponent.

The Great Troll, annoyed at the assault, struck at the Ranger. Conrad dodged, while Astrid struck down the monster. Conrad nodded his thanks as the three joined Lester and Florianna in fighting off the Night Knights.

* * *

><p>Arianna's group arrived at the former throne room of King Zenus to find the corrupted Celestrian waiting for them. Corvus blinked"Hmph, so you think you can challenge me now?"<p>

Trent nodded"Your twisted scheme is over, we'll strike you down in the name of Stornway, Gleeba and every free city in the Protectorate."

"Well, well, you talk big. I'll give you that, but I'm afraid you cannot best me no matter how many times you try" snarled Corvus, standing up from where he was sitting on the throne.

"Ka-Boom!" Raymond cast a vastly more powerful spell at the evil man. Corvus dodged and countered with a multi-thunder attack. Alicia quickly cast multi-heal on her allies, while Trent and Arianna charged at Corvus.

The former Guardian of Wormwood Creek teleported out of the way and cast a Boom spell on the four heroes, burning them them. Alicia countered with another Multi-Heal, while Arianna unleashed Gigaslash on Corvus, knocking him backwards.

Surprised, Corvus focused his power and launched another thunder spell. Alicia healed her allies again, provoking Corvus to swinging his blade at the female Sage. Raymond pushed her out of the way, only to be nicked in the thigh.

While Alicia healed the male Sage, Raymond cast a powerful Ka-Boom at their adversary. Corvus survived the blast and cast another spell at the group. Trent stabbed at the monster, only to have him dodge and cast a Crack spell at the Gladiator.

Arianna seized the opprotunity and took hold of her blade. The violet-haired warrior charged at Corvus while the former Guardian of Wormwood Creek was distacted casting another deadly spell on the other three heroes. Arianna caught Corvus off guard by running her sword through"It's over."

The surprised, corrupt Celestrian had staggered backwards before speaking"How could I have lost? Celestrians cannot act against superiors."

"Sucks for you, Arianna consumed a Fygg and turned herself Mortal" said Trent.

Corvus stepped back"So that's how it is. Well, you have not defeated me yet. Just as you have shed your Celestrian form, girl, I shall shed mine and I will destroy you all!"

With that, Corvus vanished, leaving no trace of his presence in the tainted palace. Arianna asessed the condition of her allies before speaking"I have a bad feeling about this."

"What does he mean by having another form of his own?" said Alicia.

"I don't know, but we have to go after him" said Trent.

* * *

><p>In the lower floors, Florianna's group struggled against the monster horde which now surrounded them. The Cureslimes were taken out, but the Night Knights and the Boss Trolls proved more formidable.<p>

Conrad sat exhausted as he and Sasha destroyed two more Night Knights"There's too many of them."

"We can't give up" said Lester, casting a spell to re-energize his weary allies.

Sasha speared two more trolls, while Florianna duked it out with three more Night Knights. Conrad shot one monster down, while Astrid took down another.

"Ka-BOOM!" A spell wiped out the rest of the monsters. Arianna and the rest of her group had begun to rush after Corvus and saw how badly the battle was progressing.

"Nice assist" sighed Conrad.

"My pleasure" grinned Raymond.

Florianna sat on the ground"I appreciate the help, I really need to think about whether to retire or not."

Arianna glanced at the stairs leading down from the room"We're not done yet, Corvus is still alive."

Conrad went to her side"We'll help you with this one."

"As shall I" spoke Sasha.

Alicia healed her companions' injuries"The final showdown is at hand. Any time you are ready, gang."

Trent nodded, and started to head down. Florianna addressed Arianna"I will stay here with Lester and Astrid, the rest of you should be able to take it from here."

"What about you?" said Arianna, seeing a bruise on the older woman's shoulder.

"This is nothing, just be careful" whispered Florianna.

As Arianna, Trent, Conrad, Raymond, Sasha and Alicia left the room, Lester addressed Florianna"So now what?"

Florianna replied"All I can do is believe in them. But we can watch from wherever they're headed, my Celestrian power should give us a mirror image of what's happening."

"I can't say whether or not I can stay still, but I will abide by this choice" said Astrid.

* * *

><p>Okay, this chapter is up and running. The next chapter may be shorter then this. Oh, and sorry if I wasn't too acurrate.<p>

Please feel free to review.


	25. The Starry Skies

Another Day and another chapter, this one pretty much follows up to the end of Dragon Quest IX's main story. As for the post-story stuff, I may end up covering them in this fic, but I'll see.

Oh, and I thouht I'd eventually do a major Dragon Quest crossover for a potential sequel once I get this and some post-main story chapters done. But I have some other incomplete fics on my profile that I have to finish, so feel free to check those out.

I also recommend my completed Kingdom Hearts/Dissidia Final Fantasy crossover, Kingdom Hearts Dissidia, and my Final Fantasy Tactis A2 fic: The Dark Grimoire. My Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles fic Echoes of the Past doesn't have as much feedback, I may have to do a remake.

I may also post a Rune Factory fic and a Final Fantasy XIII fic, but I'll see. Halloween Witch, Sailor Astralight, U.K Owen, I appreciate your reviews for the chapters up to the last three or four chapters, and I do apologize for having kept you all waiting. I know I should be saving these shout-outs until the very last chapter, but I just felt like saying it right now.

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest IX is the property of Square Enix.

* * *

><p>Chapter XXIV: The Starry Skies<p>

Trent and his group rushed down to the middle floors of the Realm of the Mighty. While back near the top floor, Florianna and her group were resting up from their skirmish with Corvus's monsters.

"Think they'll be okay?" said Lester.

"You know as I do that we'd just be a liability against Corvus, all I can do is believe in my daughter and her friends" sighed the older Celestrian in their group.

"Well, I'm going to ensure that Trent and Alicia are okay. I have their parents' memory to consider" said Astrid as she started to walk out of the room.

Florianna sighed"Just can't hold still, huh? All right, but Lester and I will follow and keep a safe distance from wherever Corvus might be right now."

Lester shook his head"I guess you've never been the think before you act type. Well, let's follow them then."

"Lester, Astrid, I can't just order you two to stop. I'm coming if that's what you want" said Florianna, exasperatedly.

* * *

><p>The center platforms and chambers of the Realm of the Mighty were devoid of monsters, save for the occasional troll or slime knight. Arianna's group foought past them and tracked Corvus to a large plateau near the large round substance in the middle. What surprised Arianna was a red magic orb covering the body of her adversary.<p>

"Time to end this for good" said Trent.

"Yow!" exclaimed Conrad, spotting a familiar black dragon with a yellow underside appearing. The dragon fired a tongue of flame at the heroes, which Alicia reversed with multi-heal.

Arianna drew her sword"Black Dragon Barbarus, you shall not slither away this time."

Barbarus fired an ice breath at the warrior, who dodged while Raymond hit the dragon with Ka-Crackle. Barbarus retaliated with another fire breath, which was countered by an arrow to the head by Conrad.

Alicia kept her allies on their toes as they fought the black dragon. The dragon attempted to swipe the female Sage with it's claws, which she dodged. Trent took his sword and slashed at the monster's foot. The enraged dragon shot a tongue of flame at the Gladiator, when Arianna attacked it with Falcon Slash. Barbarus shot a ice breath at the heroes, which Alicia healed with another Multi-Heal.

Conrad shot another arrow at Barbarus's head, which pierced the area between it's eyes. Barbarus howled with rage and swiped at the Ranger. Conrad grunted in pain as he felt the dragon's claw scratch his body. Sasha cast heal on her friend, while Raymond cast another spell on the dark dragon.

"We can't waste our energies on this guy for much longer" breathed Trent.

"I agree. Raymond, you're with me. Trent, Conrad, Arianna, try to distract the dragon, Raymond and I have enough power to destroy it" said Alicia.

The two Sages lined up and focused tremendous magic energy into their bodies. Trent, Conrad and Arianna kept Barbarus busy while Raymond and Alicia started to power up for their most powerful spell yet.

Raymond quipped before casting his part of the super spell"Good night, sweet prince. Ka-BOOM!"

Alicia repeated her boyfriend's spell, and the resulting magical explosion pierced Barbarus's thick hide. The dragon writhed in pain from the spell for a split moment before Conrad finished it with an arrow to the heart.

"Let's hope Barbarus stays down this time" breathed Trent.

The group took another moment to heal before approaching the red orb. The being within lay curled into a ball as it seemed to await the right time to strike, the aura Arianna felt could only have belonged to one man. Cite the fact that that the man was a Celestrian.

Arianna took a step closer and spoke to it"Corvus, so this is the form you now take?"

"Indeed, my powers have increased six-fold. Now, it is time, I will show you a taste of my new power. You'll be the first to taste my wrath, and then the Protectorate will follow you into the void" snarled the voice of the being within the red orb.

With that, before Arianna's eyes, the ground seemed to shake for a moment as the red orb exploded and the monster within flew up into the air. The monster was a medium-sized demon with green skin, horns on it's head and a pair of wings with an eye shaped symbol on each one.

"You don't scare us, even a little bit!" shouted Trent, shealthing his sword and brandishing his new lance.

The Celestrian-turned-Demon breathed a yellowish breath spell on the heroes, paralyzing them in place. Trent scowled"You're a coward, Corvus."

"Save your breath, for I send you all to your doom!" bellowed Corvus, striking Arianna with a spell from his gleaming eyes and exhaling a chilling breath on the heroes. Trent knew his father would want him to meet his end well, so he closed his eyes and awaited the unwelcome end.

Suddenly, another spell freed the heroes from their paralysis and an insulation spell covered Arianna and her group. Astrid and her team had arrived, the Elementalist smirked"That was a close one. Trent, everyone, now is your chance."

Alicia healed her team with Multi-Heal, just as Corvus irratably launched a spell that disabled the protective barrier on the heroes. Trent slashed at the monstetr, who dodged and was intercepted by Ka-Boom. Conrad attempted to fire an arrow at Corvus, but the demon paralyzed him with another yellowish breath.

While Alicia cast Squelch on the Ranger, Trent attempted to double slash Corvus with a Falcon Slash from his sword, while Arianna unleashed Gigaslash. Corvus was thrown backwards by the assault, but the demon quickly recovered and unleashed a powerful Magic Burst before meditating. Alicia rushed to cast another Multi-Heal, when she was intercepted by a swipe of the transformed Corvus's claw.

"Ka-Boom!" Raymond's spell blasted Corvus, who retaliated with a Firey Breath and a powerful beam attack from his wings. The two sages were barely able to keep up with the vast magical damage dealt to their teammates, while Trent and Arianna attacked Corvus with their weapons.

"Insulate!" Florianna had cast another protective spell on Arianna, when Corvus shot her with a Paralyze Breath. Arianna double slashed Corvus, only to be on the recieving end of a sky drop attack from the demon.

"Are you okay?" said Alicia, casting heal on the injured older Celestrian.

"I'll be okay, mothers are tough" whispered Florianna.

Corvus shot another chilly breath at the heroes, and unleashed a powerful Magic Burst. Raymond hastily cast Omni-heal on his allies, while Trent jabbed at the corrupted Celestrian with a series of jabs from his new lance. Corvus dodged and countered with a Flaming Breath.

Nearby, Arianna stood up and rushed to Florianna's side"Sure you can fight?"

"Celestrians cannot act against superiors, but that does not mean I can't support you with my white magic" replied the older violet haired warrior, casting a protective barrier on Arianna.

Conrad shot an arrow at Corvus, while Sasha set aside her lance and attacked the demon with a series of combos from her fists. Corvus paralyzed her in retaliation, when Raymond blasted the demon with another Ka-Boom spell.

Arianna cast another Gigaslash technique on Corvus, when the Celestrian-turned-Demon dodged and unleashed another Magic Burst. Raymond cast another Omni-Heal to counter the attack, while Trent plunged his new lance into Corvus.

"He's weakening, we should combine our powers, gang" said Arianna.

"Do not underestimate me" growled Corvus, taking the lance out and tossing it aside before unleashing Chilly Breath. Florianna's spell reduced the attack's potency, while Alicia cast a Magic Barrier on her allies.

Just as Corvus unleashed another Disruptive Wave, Raymond and Alicia dual cast Ka-Boom. Trent and Arianna simultaneously cast Gigaslash, while Conrad shot another arrow at the demon.

The Celestrian-turned-Demon appeared to be dying at first, but healed himself with Meditate to Arianna's surprise. Trent sighed as he pulled out his sword"You've got to be kidding."

"Gigaslash!" Arianna unleashed another wave of energy, which Corvus countered with Chilly Breath and sky dropped Trent. Alicia healed her teammates, while Raymond threw another Ka-Boom spell at Corvus. Corvus healed himself with Meditate and Pray before unleashing a final Magic Burst.

"Omni-Heal!" Raymond desparately healed his allies, while Trent charged desparately at Corvus with his sword. The evil Celestrian dodged and attempted a sky drop slam attack to find himself skewered by Trent's miracle sword.

"Ka-Boom!" Raymond and Alicia cast their strongest spell at the monster once more, while Trent struck the demon with Falcon Slash. Conrad fired another arrow, which Corvus dodged and countered with Sky Drop. Trent turned to where the monster was about to rise into the air again and stabbed it.

Corvus survived the attack and flew back up"Is this the best you can do? All too easy. Now, you shall all be destroyed, along with the rest of the Protectorate."

Trent and Arianna stood in front of their comrades as Corvus prepared to cast one more spell at the heroes. The Gladiator had nearly despaired at Corvus's seemingly invincibility'Despite our efforts, we have failed. What's going to happen next?'

Arianna put a hand on the Gladiator's shoulder for a few seconds before prepping a Gigaslash in a final attempt to destroy the monstrosity. The blast barely penetrated Corvus, who lashed out with a fatal Terrible Lightning spell. Florianna, Lester and Astrid rushed forward to intercept the blow, which brought all three to their knees.

Trent stood his ground once more, focusing his energy into his sword. Corvus unleashed Bolts From the Blue, which Arianna shielded the Gladiator from. Seeing the now mortal Clestrian collapse to her knees in exhaustian, Trent unleashed most of the energy in his body against the evil Corvus.

Surprised, Corvus attempted to counter with a chilly breath, which evaporated from the might of the powered-up Gigaslash as the energy slammed into the demon. Alicia healed her injured allies while Raymond cast Ka-Boom at Corvus one more time for good measure.

Battered, but not defeated, Corvus attempted a final Magic Burst, when a voice called out"Wait! I've finally found you."

Trent and his group watched in surprise as a ball of light collided softly into Corvus, which turned out to be Serena's ghost. A flood of memories seeped into the former Guardian of Wormwood Creeck's mind as he mind connected to Serena"What are you doing here?"

The ghost simply relayed the events of her former life to Corvus who's body glowed in a flash of light and returned to his original shape of a blond man with a pair of wings on his back.

"I see it now" whispered Corvus.

Serena smiled at the former Guardian of Wormwood Creek"I just had to find you and apologize for what's happened all these years ago, and to tell you what really happened, which I did. Now, it is done, will you join me?"

Corvus nodded, then turned to address Arianna and her group"I owe you my thanks, Aquila had trained a worthy apprentice."

"Y-yes, but he's gone" whispered Arianna.

Corvus responded"Even if that is the case, I can rest now. All my hatred towards the Protectorate is for naught. Serena, let us depart."

Serena smiled as she nodded, and the reunited couple held on to each other as they began their ascent into the stars. Arianna watched as Corvus and Serena vanished, together at last. Serena spoke one more time to Trent and his group"You have our graditude."

Suddenly, the area around the heroes began to transform. Sasha grimaced"If we do not make it back, this could be bad."

A wave of energy appeared in front of the team, halting the flow of time as Celestria apppeared before Arianna"You have done the world a great service, this place will soon return to it's original state, and the Observatory is no longer needed."

"What will happen to the other Celestrian?" inquired Arianna.

Celestria replied"It is their time to ascend into the stars from which they were created, the Observatory shall fade away. Arianna, you have a different fate awaiting you. You will now serve as the sole guardian of the Protectorate."

"I am honored, my lady. But I couldn't have saved the world without my friends" said Arianna.

Celestria nodded"You are not alone, that is true."

Even as they spoke, a rush of stars began flowing into the skies. Trent addressed Arianna"What now?"

"We can return to the Starflight Express with the Evac spell, it is our quickest way out" replied the Warrior.

Lester glanced at Astrid before addressing Celestria"What of me and Florianna?"

Celestria smiled at Lester in amusement"You two will now join the other Celestrians in the starry heavens above for now, your 'transgression' was of no consequence."

Florianna glanced at her body to find herself fading, Astrid was astonished"What about me?"

"Come with me, Astrid" whispered Lester, offering his hand.

The Elementalist hesitated before taking the man's hand in hers, turning to address Trent"I knew I was living on borrowed time, which was the best thing Lester could do for me. I was not wholly spared the Contagion's curse, I was given a small gift of temporary life."

Trent nodded hesitantly"Then I guess Alicia and I are the last in our bloodline. Tell our parents we said hi."

"I will, and I'm sorry to keep that detail from you" smiled Astrid, as her body started to fade along with Lester's.

Florianna addressed Trent and Arianna as her body started to fade"My time has also come to an end. I'm sorry I hadn't been much of a parent to you, Arianna. Trent, what exactly are your feelings for her?"

The Gladiator blushed"I-I liked Arianna since we met in Stornway. I don't think I will leave her side."

"It seems a bit too soon to say, but you have my blessings" whispered Florianna, turning to hug Arianna. The Celestrian-turned-mortal hugged her back for a brief moment.

Celestria addressed Trent"By the way, did you lose this?"

Trent flushed as the Goddess proffered him the lance he'd nearly lost"Yes, thanks my lady."

Trent, Arianna, Sasha, Conrad, Raymond and Alicia used Evac to return to the Starflight Express, just as the bodies of their three allies vanished into the stars. Astrid's ghost left her body as she let go of the spell Lester had given her to prolong her life.

At the Starflight Express, the six returned to meet Stella and Sterling. The Captain of the Express inquired"I take it our job is done here, then?"

"Yes, now we need to return to the Protectorate" nodded Arianna.

Conrad interjected with the violet haired warrior"Sasha and I need to retrieve the Pride of Bloomingdale, if you know what I mean."

"No problem, but we shouldn't be in this train for too long. The Fygg is beginning to take full effect on me, soon I won't be able to see it anymore" whispered Arianna.

Stella flew the Starflight Express away from the fading Realm of the Mighty and down towards the Protectorate. Sasha, Conrad, Raymond and Alicia glanced at the skies outside the windows of the Starflight Express, as a rush of stars ascended into it. The train flew over the various villages below.

"Hey, I think I see my stop" said Conrad, spotting the Pride of Bloomingdale docked near the chipped mountainside. The Express hovered just above the ship, so Conrad and Sasha could land safely below.

Conrad turned to address Arianna"See you later, I guess."

"Have a safe voyage" nodded the violet-haired warrior.

Sasha and Conrad disembarked onto the ship, while the others continued on in the Starflight Express. The Ranger sighed"Well, now we can relax, what do you think? Want me to plan our destination?"

"My thought exactly, but we should clean up first. The deck looks filthy" said Sasha, wrinkling her nose.

Conrad shrugged"Whatever you say."

* * *

><p>The village of Angel Falls prospered as it always did, save for the inn which was degrading from neglect by the Mayor's son, who had quickly lost interest in running it in Erinn's stead. The Mayor's son was loafing with his friends when a ticked off old man greeted them.<p>

The Mayor of Angel Falls's son winced a bit as the man berated him for his poor management of the local inn. One of the boy's friends shrugged'Busted.'

* * *

><p>Coffinwell recovered swiftly since the Contagion was sealed once more. Catrrhina's husband Phelgming lived up to his promise to be more of a part of the village's community.<p>

Unseen by the town, the ghost of Phlegming's late wife watched over her husband. Even after Arianna had fufilled her last request, Catrrhina could not help but worry about Phlegming.

* * *

><p>Swinedimples Academy retained it's reputation, as the students went about their studies. One of the former troublemakers worked hard to eventually become Head Boy. Even though Sternivus had found peace, he still kept watch over the school.<p>

* * *

><p>The kingdom of Gleeba had also improved due to Valuptua's change of heard, once she realized that people did care about her, as did her pet lizard, Drak. She used her money for the good of the kingdom, and allowed her subjects to visit her and Drak.<p>

* * *

><p>After spending hours srubbing the decks of the Pride of Bloomingdale and making sure the interior was clean, Conrad and Sasha set sail in the ship. Conrad sighed"Shouldn't we return the ship to Bloomingdale?"<p>

Sasha shook her head"The townspeople will be expecting Marian Bloome's return, which is all but unlikely. What's more, it may eventually become apparent to them that something has indeed happened to her."

"I see your point, so where to?" inquired the Ranger.

The Paladin replied"Take us to Porth Lleffan, I need to see how my master and Jona are doing. It's quite a ways, but I will keep watch while you pilot the ship."

"All right, let's do it" grinned Conrad.

As the pair headed south-west, Conrad addressed Sasha one more time"I imagine that Raymond and Alicia will eventually get hitched, and Trent's going to be with his new girlfriend. What do you say about a date?"

"Cheeky, what makes you think you've won my heart yet?" responded Sasha, amusement showing in her eyes.

"Just wondering, I wanted to get to know you better" shrugged Conrad.

* * *

><p>The Starflight Express landed a short distance from Alltrades Abbey, just as Sterling and Stella seemingly began to fade in front Arianna and the remainder of the group.<p>

As the four disembarked, Stella glanced at Arianna sadly"So now what? Arianna will not be able to see us anymore, fatguts."

"There's nothing we can do about that, we have to say good-bye to them" said Sterling.

Stella wailed"That's not fair! Why does this have to be the case?"

Arianna sighed"I am happy for your aid, Stella, but please don't throw a tantrum."

Sterling addressed Arianna"Stella's still just a kid, you know. Take care, Arianna."

"Farewell" whispered the violet haired Warrior, as Stella and Sterling proceeded to take off in the Express. Within seconds, the flash of yellow seemed to blend into the skies as Arianna's vision changed.

Trent took Arianna's hand in his"Now that our quest is over, is there a chance we could go for a walk?"

"I will take up your offer, I'm a bit too tired to use Zoom to return us to Stornway, anyway" nodded Arianna.

"It's a date, then?" inquired the Gladiator, grinning.

Arianna flushed"You shouldn't tease me like that, but I will accept either way. We'd best rest up in the inn at the abbey first, though."

As the pair turned to head for Alltrates Abbey, Aisha addressed Raymond"So what was that about? Your detour to the item shop earlier today, I mean."

Raymond took out the ring he'd bought before replying to the female Sage"I know we've only been dating a year before our journey began, but I was wondering. Will you marry me?"

Aisha blushed for a moment, then tenderly took the ring from her boyfriend's hand"I'd like that, but we will have to do a lot to be ready. Stornway would be the best place for it."

"I was thinking that, myself. So maybe in a couple weeks, then?" inquired the male Sage.

Aisha nodded, then the pair embraced each other and kissed briefly.

* * *

><p>In Alltrades Abbey, Arianna and Trent paid for a room for the night at the inn downstairs before settling into one of the rooms. The former Celestrian addressed the Gladiator"The sunset at Porth Lleffan would certainly be a beautiful spot for an actual date, don't you think?"<p>

"Yeah, that was what I was thinking. But I figure there are other areas of interest besides that" flushed Trent.

Arianna put a hand in his"I am unfamiliar with all of the customs on the Protectorate. Even though I was born to Lady Florianna, there was never a formal event for my parents' union from what I heard. Marriage was not exactly a Celestrian Custom, at least it was not entirely the same there."

Trent smiled at his new girlfriend"Well, I've never seen a wedding before, either. We'd probably experience that, eventually, sorry if I sound too forward."

"Just be careful you don't think too far ahead. Even though I'm mortal now, we'll have to see. Good night, Trent" sighed Arianna.

As the pair went to bed for the night, they were unaware that while their quest to save the Protectorate was over, another mysterious event was soon to take place. Off the coast of Newid Island, a Fygg had mysteriously appeared and landed in the sea.

* * *

><p>Okay, the main story portion is done. I tried my best to add some fluff at the end. As for the chapter title, I had a hard time settling with a name for that.<p>

Oh, and I had thought about whether or not all of my OCs should make it to the end, I decided that it was right that only the six protagonists should. I'm not usually one for killing, but this setup follows the storyline most accurately.

Considering how much bonus content there is, I may as well cover a few of those at best. That's even more spoilers for those who haven't cleared the main story yet.

Please feel free to review.


	26. Life Goes On

Mike AZ 2 here, I decided I should extend this story beyond the main plotline of Dragon Quest IX. This chapter is mainly an intermission, but includes a bit of action at the end.

Again, there will be some jumping between characters. There will also be some lapses in time.

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest is created and copyrighed by Square.

* * *

><p>Chapter XXV: Life Goes On<p>

The following morning, Trent and Arianna woke and bought some turnips with which they made some soup. As they sat at one of the tables, Alicia and Raymond joined them. The female Sage smiled"Good morning."

"It sure is, how are things?" inquired Arianna.

The female Sage smiled more"Raymond proposed to me last night, and we're planning to marry in a couple of months."

"Congratulations" acknowledged the violet-haired warrior.

As the four ate their breakfast which consisted of soup, they exited the Abbey. Trent breathed in the fresh air"Man, sure feels good to be alive after all that. Hopefully the world will be at peace forever."

"I would like to think so, myself. Now that my mission is done, my duty as a Guardian comes next" said Arianna.

Trent thought for a moment before inquiring"Since we completed our quest, does this mean we'll be disbanded?"

Arianna wondered over to a nearby tree and pondered. Trent, Alicia and Raymond followed, the male Sage smirked"You look like something's caught your eye."

Arianna pondered for a bit more before addressing her companions"The responsibility given to me by Celestria as the only Guardian of the Protectorate is a great honor, but I can only do so much. I won't disband our team. Let's head to the Quester's Rest and see if Erinn needs help, we're a bit short on money."

"Now you mention it, I need to pay Sellma the full price of the Celestial Lance. I'm glad I didn't lose it, or who knows what might happen" shrugged Trent.

"Then to Stornway it is" said Raymond.

The four linked hands, just before Arianna cast Zoom to teleport her team to Stornway. When they got to the inn, Erinn greeted them"Hey there, how are things going for you guys?"

Trent squared his shoulders"Everything's fine, though it's kind of a long story. How's business?"

"Our previous guests just left, but business is doing great" smiled the Innkeeper.

Arianna addressed the older woman"We're looking for some odd jobs to do while we're resting. My team is pretty low on funds at the moment, and Trent needs to pay Sellma the rest of the money for his new lance."

"Hm, now you mention it, I may need a little help with cooking and cleaning. The Quester's Rest is getting more popular these days, and I'm sure guests would appreciate not just having a place to sleep, but some breakfast, lunch or dinnner as well" said Erinn, thoughtfully.

Arianna nodded"I'll get cleaning, then. Trent, think you can help Erinn with cooking?"

"No problem" nodded the blond Gladiator.

Raymond and Alicia went into the parlor to relax while their two teammates began their part-time work. Trent was a novice when it came to cooking, but followed the recipes that Erinn gave him for the part-time job as best he could.

* * *

><p>Conrad and Sasha had sailed all day and night as they headed for Porth Lleffan, the pair took a turn at night so that one and the other could get some sleep in two hour intervals.<p>

The voyage lasted for the better part of the morning before they returned. The Ranger addressed the Paladin"Must be nice to get back home, eh?"

"Yeah, now let's dock the ship at the eastern coast of Newid and head south to the port from there" nodded Sasha.

The two maneuvered around the island and docked the ship, heading south towards Porth Leffan as soon as they docked. As they entered the town, they met with Jona"Hey there, how are you doing?"

"It's been a long time, Jona, we're doing fairly well. What about you?" inquired the Paladin.

Jona smiled"Great, everyone's gotten used to fishing on their own. How's everyone else on your group?"

"They're probably a little busy, I don't know when I'll go meet up with them again" replied Sasha.

"I see, well could you tell Arianna I said hi when you see her?" inquired Jona.

The Paladin nodded"Of course."

Sasha and Conrad headed towards the inn, where they met up with the elder Martial Artist, Johansan. The man smiled"Welcome back, Sasha. How was your journey?"

"It went fairly well, we split up from the others for the time being so we could relax" replied Sasha.

The older martial artist was pleasently surprised"Truly? It is good to have you back, Sasha. Would you care to tell me all about your journey?"

"Certainly, master" nodded Sasha.

As the Paladin explained her journey to the elder man, Jona suddenly approached"Um, excuse me, but I just remembered. I had a strange dream last night, something about the real Lleviathan still living."

"What? Truly?" inquired Johansan.

Jona nodded"Yes, and I need Arianna to help me with this."

Conrad shrugged"Sounds fishy to me, but what do you think Sasha?"

"I do not know, but we could send a carrier pigeon to the Quester's Rest and hope someone will find Arianna for us and explain the dream" shrugged the Paladin.

Conrad nodded"I'll take care of that."

* * *

><p>Arianna and her group finished their part-time work, earning some money in the process. Erinn smiled at the team"Thanks for helping me, you can do it again any time."<p>

"We'll keep it in mind" nodded Trent, heading behind the counter to give Sellma some of the money he owed.

The violet haired warrior inspected the room she'd cleaned to make sure she didn't miss a spot before going to the parlor. Raymond sat at a table, reading a book.

"How's Alicia?" inquired the warrior.

Raymond replied"She went to bed early, these last few days were sure busy for all of us. Have you heard from Conrad or Sasha yet?"

Arianna shook her head"They probably headed elsewhere, and I don't blame them. Here's a portion of the money I earned today, I earned about thirty."

The male Sage accepted twenty gold from his leader"Thanks a bunch."

"You should consider working part-time as well, just a thought" shrugged Arianna, walking out of the parlor.

Trent met the violet-haired warrior outside"Hey, I was just thinking. Do you think we could take a trip to Angel Falls? I haven't been there before."

"I will accept your invitation" nodded Arianna.

The pair left a note for Raymond and Alicia before departing the inn. They linked hands just before the male Gladiator hurled a Chimera Wing into the sky, effectively teleporting them to their destination.

Angel Falls is as tranquil as always when the couple entered. Arianna breathed in the fresh air before addressing her date"We should head for the inn."

When Trent and Arianna entered the inn, they met a dark haired young man and an older man there. Ivor was surprised"Arianna? Is that you?"

"Of course, how are things?" responded the violet haired warrior.

Ivor shrugged"Well-"

The old man grunted and gave Ivor a look. Ivor snapped to attention and went to the nearby room"Oh, okay, I'll get the rooms ready."

Arianna addressed the old man"How are you?"

The old man smiled as he responded"Oh, how are things, Arianna? I'm feeling quite well, I bet you're surprised to see how well I've been keeping young Ivor in line. He's turned out to be quite the work-horse, how's Erinn?"

"Same as ever" nodded Arianna.

Ivor returned to the counter"Sorry about this, will you two be staying the night?"

Arianna nodded and put down some gold"Yes, it's getting a little late anyway. How are your father and sister?"

Ivor replied"My pops has stopped nagging me, but sis has started to hate me for some reason. Well, enjoy your stay."

As Trent and Arianna turned in for the night, the Gladiator sighed"So what do you have in mind for tomorrow?"

The violet haired woman replied"Since I'm now guardian of our whole world, I'm going to want to check up on the other towns to see how everyone's doing."

"Sounds great, guess I'll get to sleep now" shrugged Trent.

The pair drifted off to sleep in preparation for the new day. As the night went by however, there was a knock on the door. Trent was fast asleep, while Arianna was woken promptly by the noise and walked to the exit. Arianna was surprised to see Raymond standing there"What is it? It's the middle of the night."

Raymond sheepishly replied"Sorry, but I recieved a carrier message not long after you left, it's from Sasha. I came here by Chimera Wing so I could tell you and Trent about the message."

"What message is it?" inquired Arianna.

The Mage reached into his pocket and handed her a note. The Celestrian read the contents'_How are things? Sorry I didn't meet you wherever you are. Conrad and I are currently in Porth Lleffan, we met with Jona and Master Johansan. It's not urgent, but can you come, Arianna? We learned earlier today that ther's still a Lleviathan living in the sea near the port-Sasha'_

Arianna inspected the note a bit more before turning her attention back to Raymond"When do you wish us to be there?"

"Well, like Sasha said in her message, it's nothing to be worried about. We can teleport to Porth Lleffan in the morning, right?" chirped Raymond.

The violet haired warrior nodded"Okay, but go back to Stornway and try to get a bit more sleep."

* * *

><p>At dawn, Trent and Arianna got up and had breakfast with Ivor and Erinn's grandfather. Ivor spoke up"How was your sleep?"<p>

"Pretty well, I just hope the commotion last night didn't wake you" replied Arianna.

Ivor shrugged"I was pretty freaked out myself, but it was all cool."

"You continuing your adventures, Arianna?" inquired the older man.

The violet-haired warrior nodded"Yes, and it was nice to see you two again."

Trent and Arianna bade farewell to Ivor and the old man, and set off back to Stornway. Trent piped up"So what happened?"

"Raymond paid me a visit last night, I was given a note sent by carrier pigeon from Sasha. We have to be at Porth Lleffan" replied Arianna.

The two reached the Quester's Rest and met with Alicia and Raymond. The female sage spoke"Good morning."

"Same to you, Raymond shouldn't have to had wake me up in the middle of the night though" sighed the violet-haired warrior.

"Sorry about that, I just didn't want to forget about the message" shrugged the male sage.

Trent squared his shoulders"Well, we know what to do if there really is a Leviathan."

The four headed outside the inn and joined hands. Arianna focused on what magic power she still had after becoming mortal and cast Zoom. The spell landed the group a short distance from Porth Lleffan. Conrad rushed out to meet them"How's everything?"

"Great, now what exactly are we doing?" inquired Trent.

The Ranger replied"Jona had some kind of dream and wants to talk to Arianna about it."

"Okay, lead the way" said the violet haired warrior.

The five entered the port and found Jona, Sasha and Johansan waiting for them. The Paladin spoke"It's been a couple days, you look well Arianna."

"Same to you" acknowledged the warrior.

Jona proceeded to explain the situation"I had some kind of dream the other night, it's as though some kind of force is calling us. It seems that the real Lleviathan is alive."

"How do we encounter it?" inquired Trent.

Jona hesitated, then replied"I heard of someone who actually summoned a Lleviathan before I did. But that person is dead, so I don't know how to summon the creature."

"She's right" said a voice, as the ghostly spirit of Florianna appeared.

"Mother? I can't see you" gasped Arianna.

The ghostly Celestrian replied"That dosen't mean I can't talk to you telepathetically, there is a spirit which appears at night which can tell you more about the mystery."

"How can you still be here, anyway?" whispered the younger purple haired woman.

Florianna replied"I am able to cross the barrier between the living and the dead somewhat in this form. Celestria has allowed me to do this much so I could still watch over you in spirit form. I can't stay here for long, just believe what I say, I am transplanting my thoughts directly into your brain."

Arianna thought over what the telepathetic voice in her head spoke of and murmered"I know what I must do now. We'll stay in the inn until evening, I'll see if I can find the spirit I was just informed of."

"Now you're talking, let's get to the bottom of this mystery" said Sasha.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Arianna and Sasha headed out of the inn to find the mysterious figure who had previously summoned a Lleviathan before Jona had. Cite the fact that the Lleviathan Jona summoned last time was in fact her father Dylan, who was transformed by a fygg.<p>

"I can't feel the presense of any ghosts" whispered Arianna.

"Must be the result of you becoming Mortal, huh?" said Sasha.

The violet haired warrior nodded as they walked on. Florianna's voice again entered Arianna's head"The ghost is near the east part of the beach of Porth Lleffan, I will be your eyes."

"Are all deceased Celestrians capable of this?" inquired Sasha.

The violet haired warrior replied"No, neither my father or Aquila can do what my mother is doing now. Then again, she is Apus Major's daughter and a vassal of Celestria."

A flash of light shone from the sky, as though guiding the two to their destination. As they got there, Arianna saw through Florianna's spirit's eyes the spirit of an old woman. The woman was surprised"Hm?"

"Are you the one who could summon the actual Lleviathan?" inquired Arianna.

"Yes, but why do you ask?" demanded the older girl.

Florianna interjected"Arianna and her group are attempting to solve the mystery of the real Lleviathan, they wish to know how to summon one."

The old woman's ghost blinked in surprise"Hmph, all right, I'll explain. The Lleviathan can only be summoned at the cape outside the topmost floors of Twyll Caverns, and certain acessories must be worn by it's summoner: A Watermaul Wand, A Flowing Dress and a Silver Shield. Also, the summoner must recite a special incantation."

Sasha was astonished by what she was hearing"That sounds unbelievable, but we'll give that a try."

"Exactly, we'll let Jona know in the morning. Let's head back to the inn" said Arianna.

The violet haired warrior thanked the ghost before she and Sasha headed back to the inn. Florianna's voice addressed her daughter"It was the duty of all Celestrians to guard the Protectorate, but now that falls to you. I must now return to the stars, I wish you the best. I never intended you to shoulder the burden of the whole Protectorate."

As Florianna's presense instantly vanished, Sasha blinked"Okay, this mission is offically wierding me out."

* * *

><p>The following day, Arianna and her group went to Jona's house to inform her of what they learned. The girl was surprised"So we must return to the cape where you freed my father."<p>

"Yes, but we need the Watermaul Wand, a Silver Shield and a Flowing Dress" nodded Trent.

"I took the liberty of buying Chimera Wings, certain shops in certain towns may have the items we require" said the Paladin.

"Let's look everywhere we can and meet back here" nodded Arianna.

Jona nodded"I don't mind waiting, will you come with me to the caves after that?"

"Yes, we don't know of this Lleviathan is hostile or not" said the violet haired warrior.

As each of her allies zoomed to some of the other towns with the Chimera Wings' magic, Arianna herself teleported to Stornway. As she entered the local weapon/armor shop, one of the shopkeepers addressed her"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I need a Silver Shield" replied Arianna.

"That costs a lot, seventy five hundred gold in fact" said the shopkeeper.

The violet haired warrior reached into her pocket and put down some gold"Will this be enoujgh?"

"Close enough, it's all yours, just don't tell my wife" said the man.

Arianna thanked the shopkeeper and zoomed back to Porth Lleffan, Trent and his group met up with the Celestrian-turned-Mortal. The violet haired warrior inquired"How did it go?"

"Turns out Wormwood Creek had the Flowing Dress, which I bought. Trent found the Watermaul Wand at Gleeba" responded Alicia.

Arianna nodded"Great, let's let Jona know."

The six went to Jona's house, where she greeted them"How did it go?"

"We got the items we needed" responded Conrad.

Jona grinned"Great, let's get to it."

"I shall also assist on this venture" came a voice as Sasha's father approached.

Arianna smiled"Let's go, then."

The group entered Twyll Cave and made their way to the top. The monsters posed no threat, as Arianna's group had gotten far more powerful then when they previously visited.

When they got to the cliff, Arianna handed Jona the items they were required to have. Trent spoke up"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, and let's not dwell too much on the possibilities" said Arianna.

Jona stepped forward a bit and closed her eyes in prayer as she began to recite the spell needed to summon Lleviathan. As soon as the incantation was finished, a familiar, yet different red and blue creature emerged from the depths of the sea.

"look out!" called Conrad. Jona ran back towards her friends as the Lleviathan unleashed a Tsunami.

Johansan shielded Jona, while Trent and Arianna charged at the monster with their blades. The Lleviathan knocked them back with a spin attack, while Raymond cast Kaboom on it.

Lleviathan retaliated with another Tsuname and spin attack, which struck the group so hard that Alicia had to heal them. Conrad fired an arrow, which barely missed Lleviathan. Sasha jabbed at the monster with her lance, only to be met by a blow from it's tail.

Trent slashed the Lleviathan on it's thigh, while Arianna attacked with Falcon Slash. Lleviathan unleashed another Tidal Wave, which Alicia countered with Multi-Heal. The monster wasn't finished yet however, and launched another Tidal Wave.

"Ka-Boom!" Raymond's spell blasted the Lleviathan, causing it to bellow in pain. Trent seized the opprotunity to stab the monster with his lance, which Lleviathan countered with a spin attack. Conrad shot it with an arrow while it was distracted. The injured Llevathan unleashed another Tidal Wave, prompting Alicia to heal her allies again.

"That's it, let's give it all we got" said Arianna.

The Warrior and the Gladiator attacked Lleviathan simutaniously with their weapons, while Raymond shot it with another Ka-Boom. Conrad loaded another arrow and shot the monster between the eyes. The monster collapsed from it's injuries.

"We won" gasped Raymond.

"Wait a minute, look" whispered Alicia.

The injured Lleviathan woke up a few seconds later and spoke, much to Arianna's surprise"Were you the ones who stopped me? Sorry I acted that way just now, I must've hit my head."

Alicia healed the injured sea creature"How can you talk, anyway?"

Lleviathan responded"I don't really remember, but anyway, does this yellowish fruit belong to you?"

With that, a familiar looking fruit appeared before them. Arianna retrieved the item and said"Thank you."

"No problem, I'll just be minding my own business from now on. Farewell" said the Lleviathan, diving back under the sea.

Jona was surprised at the sight"Could this be...?"

"Yes, it is a Fygg. But what was it doing here?" whispered Arianna.

Johansan smiled"Well, it is good that you are all safe, let us head back to town."

As the group proceeded to depart, Jona addressed the violet-haired warrior"Um, do you have a wish in mind? I heard the legends, and I think it's only right that you have it."

"I take it you can regain your Celestrian powers, Arianna?" inquired Sasha.

The violet haired warrior just glanced at the Fygg in wonder, when she felt her head seemingly jerk to the side a little"I think I know who just did that."

"Really?" whispered Alicia.

"What is it?" inquired Johansan.

Trent turned to the old Martial Artist"Could you and Jona head on back to the port without us? We'll see you again some time."

"Very well. Oh, and Sasha? I could never be more proud of you, even though you've undertaken the path of the Paladin" whispered Johansan.

"Thank you, father" said Sasha.

As Jona and Johansan left, the violet-haired warrior took a deep breath and moved the fygg to her mouth. Upon eating the fruit, a familiar sight materialized before her eyes, once gain the eyes of a Celestrian. It was a familiar blond fairy with a pink dress and a flower in her hair"Stella?"

"You bet'cha. Not long after you left, I followed you and loverboy around, even though I couldn't see you. I even saw you take on that flapping Lleviathan" grinned Stella, cheekily.

Trent was equally astounded to hear the fairy's voice"Nice to see you're still the same as ever."

The violet haired Celestrian addressed Stella"By the way, where's the Starflight Express?"

Stella grinned"It's at the blue tree on Newid."

"So Arianna, what's next?" inquired Trent.

Arianna replied"Let's get back to the Starflight Express, but first we should rest back at Porth Lleffan. This whole mystery was somewhat tiring."

With that, the group headed back down towards Porth Lleffan.

* * *

><p>Sorry for the wait, and sorry if I wasn't being to accurate here, even I get writer's block. I know I went and brought back two of the OCs for this chapter, but how would the hero be able to speak to that old woman's ghost as a mortal?<p>

Anyway, I may alter between the grottos and the bonus characters, since the quests required to gain Erinn and Aquila as playable characters are tied to two of the grottos. I hope I didn't spoil too much info about the post-game content. I don't think I'll bother including the legacy bosses.

Please feel free to review.


	27. The Granite Tunnel of Woe

Here's another chapter for my Dragon Quest fic.

Disclaimer: DQ is created by Squaresoft.

* * *

><p>Chapter XXVI: The Granite Tunnel of Woe<p>

Arianna and her friends headed back to the Starflight Express, having somehow found a fygg which enabled the Celestrian to regain her powers. Stella happily chatted with the purple haired heroine as the group went to Newid's blue tree, where the Starflight Express hovered just above the ground.

As the group got on board, Sterling greeted Arianna"Hey there, it's been a short time."

"Same to you, how are things?" inquired the purple haired Celestrian.

The older man shrugged"Well, now that you mention it, have any of you heard of the secret underground caves which are called grottos?"

"I don't think any of us have" frowned Sasha.

Sterling elaborated"These 'grottos' I'm talking about are well hidden, you need maps to locate the general location of a grotto. There are powerful monsters dwelling inside them, the strongest ones seem to be getting restless. Least that's what I heard."

"A grotto hunt, eh?" wondered Conrad.

Sasha's eyes lit up"Oh, I just remembered, I still have the map that Christopher Collapsus gave us."

"Really? Well, maybe we can get somewhere" mussed Sterling.

Sasha reached into her bag and pulled out the unknown map. Upon unfolding it, the female Paladin gazed at a familiar landscape with an X marked west of the outline of a city"The writing on the map is somewhat faded, must be quite old."

"Let me see it" said Arianna.

The female Paladin handed the map to the purple haired warrior, who glanced at it for a minute"The writing is written in a dialect that hasn't been used in a long time. The X marks the location of an underground passage called the Granite Tunnel of Woe."

"Granite Tunnel of Woe? I used to hear ghost stories about that place, the urban legend was passed through my ancestors" said Alicia.

Arianna shook her head"There are still some places on the Protectorate I've yet to visit, the ancient underground grottoes are among them. No Mortal or Celestrian has ever been to such a hidden place."

"Shall we get digging, then?" said Conrad.

"That won't be necessary. If we locate the approximite coordinates on the map, I can use my power to reveal the entrance to the Granite Tunnels" said the Celestrian.

"Where does the X on the map point to?" piped Alicia.

"Approximately west of Stornway, we should get going if we want to return to Quester's Rest inn by dark. I have a feeling there is more to what we learned about the grottos" frowned Arianna.

Sterling nodded"It's settled, then. Oh, and Arianna, I have something I want to give you."

"What is it?" inquired the Celestrian.

The starflight express captain removed his necklace (which had a silver whistle attatched) and showed it to Arianna"This whistle summons the Starflight Express. I am turning command of the express over to you."

"That sounds handy and all, but how does it work?" inquired Trent.

Sterling replied"The Starflight Express has a special device that picks up the sound of the whistle when you blow it. But you have to be out in the open for it to work, it won't do any good in buildings or caves."

Arianna nodded as she accepted the whistle"Thank you, Sterling."

The man nodded"Just take care not to lose it, all right? Stella, show her how to pilot the express."

Stella acknowledged her captain's words and showed Arianna the Starflight Express's controls"Well, now that you're vice-captain and all, here are the levers and panels for the train."

As Stella explained to Arianna how to move the express, Raymond addressed Alicia"It all sounds quite mysterious, I say."

"The grottos? Yeah, and I only heard stories. The monsters don't sounds like they're much of a threat, but still I am a bit concerned about how this will affect the world" shrugged the female sage.

"We don't know too much about rapportals either, and I'm sure neither has any impact on the world. Now let's get on with the investigation" said Arianna.

The Celestrian prepped up the controls while most of her team mates sat in the passager car. Below them, the land and sea had become a blur as Arianna flew the express high above. Trent stood at her side, studying the world map.

"Stornway was just a stone's throw away as far as the Starflight Express is considered, not that I mean to rhyme" remarked Arianna as she slowed the train before lowering it south of the castle town.

"You know where to look, right?" said Sasha, as the group disembarked from the train.

Arianna nodded"The granite tunnel is supposedly to the north west of our landing point. If I study the geography around there closely enough, I might be able to figure out where the tunnel is."

The group headed north west from the castle town's entrance, where the violet haired Celestrian glanced around the surrounding fields for the hidden grotto entrance.

"What would the entrance look like?" wondered Conrad.

Sasha shrugged"No idea, but if the treasure map's any proof, we'll find it eventually."

Arianna studied the treasure map a bit more"The grottos must hold some kind of secret, the entrance wouldn't normally be visible."

"No kidding, I don't see anything so far" said Conrad.

Upon further inspection, Arianna spotted a ancient incantation written in on the map"Of course, the Almighty wouldn't want the protectorate's greatest secrets found so easily. There's a spell which will reveal ancient secrets like the underground grottos."

"Can you read it?" inquired Alicia.

The Celestria nodded"It's written in an ancient dialect which was not used in a long time. If I cast the revelation spell in the right place, a portal to the grotto should open."

"Can't hurt to try" said Trent.

The Celestrian walked over to a random patch of grass and becan reciting an ancient spell discribed on the map. Within moments, a staircase was revealed.

"Amazing" whispered Conrad.

Arianna turned to address her group"We don't know what we'll find down there, so let's be careful."

The six descended down the steps, finding themselves in a dimly-lit cavern. Trent gazed ahead"Never thought this was under Stornway, but why is this called the Tunnel of Woe?"

"Just a time, I reckon" shrugged the Ranger.

Arianna squared her shoulders"This place is ancient, we must take care. Who knows what monster we'll encounter in this dank place."

Time passed as the group tread through the long tunnel. Arianna studied the surroundings, which were different then the other caves that she and her friends had been to.

"Hey, listen to this, echo!" called Conrad, his voice reaching slightly into the depths.

"Careful, someone might answer" whispered Sasha.

"I see some stairs up ahead, let's go deeper" said Trent.

The stairs led them down into a narrow passageway, which took them to a room with another set of stairs. Alicia sighed"Why would the Almighty create a place like this?"

"No idea" muttered her brother.

The team went down the stairs, which led to a small passage with a large room up ahead. Arianna tensed for a moment"I sense a powerful force up ahead."

"Could be one of the monsters Sterling talked about" said Trent.

The team went to the grey and red chamber up ahead, where they saw a black and green horse-like creature pawing in one area. As Arianna got closer, she sensed an otherworldly aura about the monster.

Oblivious at first to the intruders, the creature seemed to neigh"Why did I get locked here? The above world is where I pasture, it's denizens merely my grooms!"

"It spoke?" gasped Alicia.

"Hush" whispered Sasha to the female sage.

The creature turned to face them"Eh? Intruders, I see. Well, have a taste of my might! I, the mighty Equinox, will tear you asunder!"

"That's what you think, horse face! I'm gonna send you back to the barn!" jeered Trent.

The Equinox darted forward and trampled over the swordsman. Alicia healed her brother while Raymond cast a strong Boom spell on the monster. Equinox countered with a quick weakening wave before charging at the Sage. Conrad knocked Raymond out of the way, only to get trampled.

Alicia cast haste on her allies, enabling Trent to take a stab at Equinox. The nightmare steed retaliated with dark breath and unleashed a thunder spell. Alicia healed her allies while Raymond cast Kaboom. Trent followed that up with Falcon Slash. Equinox cast two thunder spells before charging at Arianna.

"I don't think so" Trent got in front of the Celestrian and stabbed at Equinox's head with his spear. The monster reared back and struck downward with it's hooves before unleashing Dark Breath. Alicia cast another multi-heal, while Sasha threw a knuckle sandwhich at the nightmare steed. Equinox dodged and countered with thunder.

"He's not horsing around, that's for sure" said Conrad, shooting at the Equinox with an arrow.

"Mock me if you wish, for I send you to oblivion" snarled the Equinox, unleashing Dark Breath and thunder. Alicia barely kept up with her healing spells while Trent double slashed the monster.

Raymond and Alicia began to concentrate their spells into a dual Kaboom, blasting Equinox. Trent and Arianna hacked at it with their swords. Equinox jeered as it countered with more subsequent thunder and dark breath attacks"Is this the best you could do? You're no match for me."

Trent slammed his lance into the Equinox, while Sasha threw a mighty succession of multi-punches at the monster. The Equinox shot another dark breath at the heroes, while Raymond cast Ka-Crack on it. Arianna unleashed Gigaslash on the Equinox as it reared back for another thunder spell.

Conrad shot another arrow at the Equinox, while Arianna got the hang of it's attack patterns"I think I know it's weak point. Conrad, attack the monster when it rears back."

"Clever girl, but you cannot match me!" growled the Equinox, unleashing dark breath and trampling the Celestrian. Alicia healed her while Trent slashed the monster with Falcon Slash.

Infuriated, the Equinox reared back for another devastating thunder strike, when Conrad fired an arrow"Good night, sweet prince!"

"Uh-oh" muttered the Equinox as the arrow pierced it's heart. The mortally injured nightmare steed countered with another Dark Breath, just before Arianna unleashed one last Gigaslash. The Equinox collapsed from it's injuries and vanished in a flurry of light.

"That's the last time Equinox nagged us" gasped Conrad as he put away his bow.

"Best not joke about that anymore, Conrad" said the Gladiator, retrieving his lance.

Trent glanced past the spot where the Equinox previously stood"I see something up ahead." The Ranger took the Gladiator's cue as he raced to a nearby dead end to find a treasure chest.

"I figured it was guarding something" frowned Arianna.

Conrad opened the treasure chest and turned to the Celestrian"It looks like another treasure map."

Arianna went to inspect the chest's contents and took out an old map"Hm, this one discribes a cave called the Ceramic Tunnel of Joy, it looks like it's near Angel Falls."

"What next?" frowned Conrad.

"Let's get back to the Quester's Rest, this whole trip probably took us half a day" said Arianna.

* * *

><p>Sorry for the wait, but this next chapter is up. The next one will cover Patty's side quest, and I will do another grotto chapter following that. Huh, am I the only one who think the Equinox is the easiest grotto boss?<p>

I may not remember the exact names for Dragon Quest IX's treasure maps, so please bear with me.

Please feel free to review.

My apologies for the wait, I'll post another chapter soon. I just kind of have writer's block, that's all.


	28. Perk up Patty

Mike AZ 2 here, I can't apologize enough for the wait. Thanks Frosfire05 for the review. This intermission chapter may be shorter than the others and has no action. It's also kind of sad, but hopefully it will be the last chapter like that.

Disclaimer: The Dragon Quest series is the product of Square Enix.

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><p>Chapter XXVII: Perk up, Patty.<p>

The six returned from the Granite Tunnel of Woe, having recovered an ancient treasure map. The Gladiator, Trent, remarked"So what did you think Equinox was on about?"

"Who knows? We can't know for sure since we dispatched him" shrugged Arianna.

"The next grotto might hold another map, that's one thing I'd like to think for sure" smirked Conrad.

The violet-haired Celestrian shrugged"We will never know until we go there. The hidden grottos contain powerful monsters, some may be even more powerful than Equinox."

"You know this?" asked Alicia, stunned.

"Not for certain" responded Arianna.

It was nearly the middle of the night when the friends returned to the Quester's Rest. Erinn greeted them with a smile"Welcome back, you must be tired after being out so late."

"We can use a rest, thirty gold should be enough, correct?" inquired Arianna.

Erinn nodded"Close enough, you have been given a special staff rate after all. Sweet dreams."

Arianna paid Erinn, and the six headed up to the bedrooms. Trent and Arianna elected to share a room, as there were enough available for a group of two each. The blond thought for a moment"Hey Arianna, do you think Aisha and Raymond will quit when they get married?"

"That's up to them, but I suspect that Raymond won't. That's still a few weeks away, but we could always recruit new Adventurers if needed. As for me, I will continue questing as long as possible with you by my side. Maybe, just maybe we can build a house somewhere peaceful, if we earn the money that is" whispered the Celestrian.

Trent blushed"I guess."

"Let's get some rest, tomorrow we'll decide what to do next" said Arianna.

* * *

><p>The following day began as usual with the group readying themselves by getting dressed and having breakfast in the parlor. While they ate pancakes andor salad, Trent spoke up around a bite of his portion"Think we'll end up helping someone, today?"

"Maybe" said Sasha.

"Always a possibility" said Arianna, who was munching on her salad.

Raymond grinned"Everyday is just so interesting."

The group finished their breakfast and headed back to the lobby. Erinn and her colleagues were minding the inn from behind the counter as usual, though Patty was resting her head on the desk.

"Huh?" Trent stopped to see her.

Erinn, who was watching over her colleague, turned to Arianna"Patty woke up this morning all tired and depressed. If it's not too much trouble, would you mind cheering her up?"

Arianna nodded"Very well" and went over to the counter.

Trent addressed Patty"What's up?"

"Hm?" The usually happy manager of Patty's Party Place looked up"Oh, just thinking about something."

"What were you thinking about?" asked Trent, curiously.

Patty sighed"I was actually thinking back to my old adventuring days. Back then, I was friends with Pheobie, we both traveled the world as Adventurers. She was a brave Adventurer, but we eventually parted ways at a nomad village."

"A Nomad village, huh?" piped Conrad.

"We've been to one, remember? Batsureg is the only nomad village we know of" said Arianna.

Trent walked over to Erinn"She's been thinking of a friend of her's. Do you know someone called Pheobie?"

"Is that what's bothering Patty? I see. No, I don't know Pheobie, but maybe you can go see if Pheobie's there and if she'd like to visit" replied the Innkeeper.

Trent shrugged"I guess that's our job for the day."

"We must head to Batsureg" acknowledged Arianna, walking out the door. Her three friends followed as the Celestrian walked outside of town.

"How come we have to be outside town to summon the Starflight Express?" wondered Trent.

"There just no point alarming the poeple needlessly" replied the Celestrian just before blowing on Sterling's whistle. The golden train landed shortly before them and they boarded.

"So what's the destination?" piped Stella.

"We're headed for Batsureg" said Arianna, taking the controls.

The group flew the Starflight Express to the north-east continent and landed near their destination. Trent breathed in the fresh air for a moment"Where do you reckon Pheobie is?"

"I have no idea, we should check on Batzorig and his father" responded Alicia.

"I agree" murmured Sasha.

The six headed into the village and straight for the Chieftain's tent. Batzorig and his father were happy to see Arianna when the group entered the chieftain's tent"Welcome back, how fare you?" asked Batzorig.

"It's good to see you again, have you seen a woman named Pheobie?" inquired the Celestrian.

Batkhann was surprised"Hm? Pheobie, you say? She's dead. The warrior fought bravely to defend Batsureg from monsters several years ago."

"I see, my apologies for bothering you" murmured Arianna.

"It was no trouble. Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?" asked Batzorig.

Trent shook his head"No, but thanks for the info."

The group said farewell to Batzorig and his father again before leaving. Arianna stopped for a moment to glance at the nearby pond. Trent glanced at her"What's up?"

Arianna shook her head"I thought I sensed the spirit of the fallen warrior, but for now we should go back to Stornway."

"You're right" said Sasha.

Using a Chimera Wing to return to Stornway, Trent and the others went back into the inn. Patty was still feeling down when they entered, but Arianna knew she had to tell the truth"Patty."

"Yes?" asked the older woman.

"I'm sorry, it seems that your friend passed away" said Arianna.

"I see" Patty felt saddened and shocked at the news.

Trent addressed Arianna"So what now? You said that you thought you felt the presence of a dead warrior, right?"

"Yes, and I think that warrior is Pheobie. We'll need to go back at nightfall" nodded the violet-haired girl.

"It is quite a ways till then, let's rest up" piped Sasha. Arianna, Conrad, Trent, Aisha and Raymond nodded.

Erinn addressed Arianna"I could not hope but overhear. Would you like to work part-time?"

Arianna nodded"Of course, there is little else I can do at this moment."

While the Celestrian went to work, Trent walked outside. Aisha followed her brother, curious"What's up?"

Trent stopped for a moment, a blank look on his face"Aisha, I can't help but think. You know, Arianna and I have known each other for a while, so I thought I could ask her out on a real date sometime."

"I imagine she'll like that" smiled the female Sage.

"Yeah, I'm kind of embarrassed to think of it, though" flushed the younger blond, walking towards the nearest item shop. Aisha followed her brother so she could check the item shop for anything helpful.

"Welcome, what can I do for you two?" smiled the shopkeeper when they entered.

Trent went over to find a selection of commitment rings in the corner. Aisha glanced to where her brother was looking"You do realize that love and marriage is serious business."

"Yeah, I know. I just wanted to have a look, wait a sec. That turquoise seems a bit cheap" said Trent, glancing at a particular ring with a turquoise jewel on top of the silver band.

Aisha walked over to look at it"It still has a steep price. We should have the cash required to buy it, though."

"Okay" Trent picked up the ring and walked over to the shopkeeper. The man charged the blond two hundred gold, which he gladly paid.

Aisha smiled as she went over to some herbs to look at them"Reminds me when Raymond got me a ring like this, engagement rings however are likely to be far more expensive."

"I guess" said Trent, flushing.

The two purchased some supplies before returning to the inn.

* * *

><p>Evening came before long when the six gathered and summoned the Starflight Express. On board, Trent addressed the rest of the group"Something tells me we might need the Pride of Bloomingdale."<p>

"That's somewhat out of our way, the ship is back at Lleffan" frowned Sasha.

"Let's go there, anyway" responded Arianna.

The group flew the express back to Porth Lleffan where the group located the Pride of Bloomingdale at one of the docks. Boarding the ship, Arianna and her companions readied to sail and took off for Urdus Marshland by boat.

The trek would take them over two hours, so Conrad and Sasha proceeded to play a game of I-Spy. The brunette Ranger spoke"Hm, I spy with my little eye something nearly black with white dots."

"That would be the sky and stars, silly. How about this? I spy with my little eye something brown."

"A boat?" guessed Conrad.

At the helm, Trent smiled a bit at the scene before continuing to steer. Eventually, they came to Urdus Marshland and used the Zoom spell to hurry over to Batsureg where Arianna had sensed a ghostly presence.

"Hm" The Celestrian searched the nearby pond and stopped when she saw the ghostly figure of a young armored woman.

Trent stopped behind her"Is that the spirit?"

Arianna nodded before addressing the wondering soul"Are you Pheobie?"

The spirit turned to see Arianna, surprised"Yes, but who are you?"

"I am Arianna, I heard that you had died. You were friends with a woman called Patty, correct?"

"Yes, we were adventuring partners" said the spirit, hesitantly.

Arianna spoke"Is there anything we can do to help Patty? She is feeling depressed at the moment."

Pheobie frowned"I see, well, may I ask you a favor in return? I seem to have lost my way when I strayed from my grave, I vageuly remember where my body was buried. Can you take me to the Khalaag Coast? It is north of this village."

"Of course" said Arianna.

"I appreciate it, but I must insist on following you and going by boat. If you fly by any means, I'll lose sight of you" requested Pheobie.

Arianna nodded before turning to her friends"Let's go to the Khalaag Coast, but we're going to take the Pride of Bloomingdale."

"Perfect, I hope I don't get too seasick" muttered Conrad.

The group, accompanied by Pheobie's ghost, returned to the Pride of Bloomingdale and sailed for another half-hour towards the Khalaag coast. Trent addressed Arianna"I know this is a bad time, but I was thinking about asking you out."

"You'll have to do that sometime tomorrow, but I would accept. But please don't say anything else, okay? Steering the ship requires immense concentration" replied the Celestrian.

Their destination came into view, shortly. Trent glanced around as they disembarked"Seems like a lonely place."

"I agree, but let's go find Pheobie's grave" said Alicia.

The group traveled a ways until Arianna found a single unmarked grave. Addressing the ghost, she asked"Is this your resting place?"

Pheobie nodded and went over"Thank you, there is a token of Patty's and my friendship in my grave. Can you take it to her?"

"Of course" responded Arianna.

The ghost nodded gratefully and settled into her grave. Trent walked over and dug around for a bit before finding a slightly dirtied old pendant, the spirit spoke once more"That is called a Friendant, I gave it to Patty before to honor our friendship."

Arianna thanked Pheobie before leading her comrades back to Stornway with the Zoom Spell, Trent took the time to clean the pendant. Returning to the inn, they found Erinn still awake"Hey, you all must be tired from being out so late."

"Yes, we need to rest" replied the Celestrian.

"Okay, good night. This one is on the house since we're currently outside business hours. I was waiting for you" smiled the Innkeeper.

* * *

><p>The following day found the group heading downstairs, but they headed to the front desk instead of the parlor. Patty was still moping, Arianna could see a black circle over her eye.<p>

"She's still thinking about Pheobie, huh?" said Sasha, sympathetically.

Trent pulled out the pendant and addressed Patty"Hey, good morning."

The older woman looked up"Yes?"

Trent replied"We met Pheobie's ghost, as unbelievable that may sound, she wanted us to give this pendant to you."

"Really?" asked Patty.

Trent handed the pendant to Patty, who was overwhelmed with happiness"So she hasn't forgotten our friendship... Maybe she is still watching over, thank you."

"Feeling better now?" inquired Sasha.

Patty let out a smile"Why, yes. Thank you very much, I am ecstatic that you gave this to me! Why, I would be willing to come along with you on your adventures sometime, just like the old days where Pheobie and I traveled together. Back then, we were known as the bombshell buddies."

Arianna was shocked"I-I'm glad you're feeling better, but are you certain you would join us?"

Patty beamed"Why yes, just give me a holler if you need me. It's been a long time, but otherwise I would be glad to come with you. If Erinn approves, of course. Oh, and I can't really be seen leaving very often."

"That's quite all right, and we'll be honored to take you up on your offer, sometime" responded Sasha.

Patty smiled, put the pendant away and added her name to the list of adventurers on her Party Planner Roster.

Trent addressed Arianna"Hey, I bought you something yesterday."

"What might it be?" asked the Celestrian.

The Gladiator reached into his pocket, pulled out the turquoise ring and handed it over"I thought you'd like it. It's called a commitment ring, kind of preliminary to an engagement ring."

"Of course, it is an honest gift" said Arianna, smiling slightly.

Erinn and Patty watched with a knowing smirk at the scene. Arianna paid them no heed as she spoke with Trent"So from this moment on, you and I are officially courting. Dating opportunities may be a bit scarce in my line of work however, would you be okay with it?"

"Yeah, I would wait as long as it takes" replied Trent.

Arianna nodded, satisfied"So shall we get started on our next expedition?"

"Yeah, I would like to know where the next grotto might be" said Trent.

* * *

><p>Cliffhanger time, and sorry again for the wait. I did my best to lighten the chapter a bit at the end. Though Trent and Arianna are now courting, I'm still going to add another seven or eight chapters. Though I will cover the extra character-related sidequests, the dialogue might not match the game's.<p>

Please feel free to review.


	29. The Ceramic Tunnel of Joy

The next chapter is up and running. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest XI is Square Enix's creation. Same goes for the rest of the series.

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><p>Chapter XXVIII: The Ceramic Tunnel of Joy<p>

The group went to the parlor to discuss their plans for the day. Arianna took out the map they got from the Granite Tunnel of Woe and studied it"The next grotto is... hm, this looks too easy."

"Why is it?" inquired Trent.

The Celestrian replied"Apparently, it is hidden somewhere on the hill near Angel Falls. I have to admit I've never fully explored the hill just outside Angel Falls Village, but still..."

"First time for everything" remarked Raymond.

"Would you guys mind if I come along?" smiled Patty.

"No offense, but you might just get in the way" said Trent.

Arianna shrugged"Actually, I wouldn't mind as long as we don't encounter anything too dangerous. Patty, the treasure map that Trent and I are looking at just now describes a hidden grotto somewhere near Angel Falls."

"Interesting, that all the more wants me to come" grinned the older woman.

Trent squared his shoulders"Guess we're heading towards the hill near Angel Falls."

"The quickest way is to Zoom to Angel Falls and go from there" spoke the Celestrian.

Patty walked around the counter to join the group up front"Well, what are we waiting for? Erinn, I'll be going out for a bit. Could you mind my Party Plance while I'm out?""

"Okay, good luck" smiled the Innkeeper.

"The more people in our group, the slower we'd have to move" Sasha pointed out.

"Alicia and I will stay, then" piped Raymond.

Alicia shook her head"You stay, I am the Primary Healer of our group, remember?"

Conrad squared his shoulders"I wouldn't mind taking a little break. Why not, Sash? Want to join me?"

"Sure, if Arianna doesn't mind" replied the Paladin.

The Celestrian nodded"It is all right with me. Patty, would you mind staying close to us for this expidition? I can't say how easy I'll be able to protect you on the way, otherwise."

"Ah, you're sweet. No worries, I have a dagger on hand" smiled Patty.

Arianna nodded, then led her team out of the inn. The group headed southwest of Stornway, towards the Angel Falls region. Conrad and Sasha remained at the inn and went into the parlor to relax.

"So where does your treasure map say the grotto is?" piped Patty.

"Somewhere on the hill, I can sense it" replied the younger woman.

The group climbed the hill and looked around. Trent could not help but breathe in the fresh air"The view is just breathtaking."

"Yeah, the view is beautiful" breathed Aisha.

The Celestrian looked around, checking carefully on each inch of the hill for a unsusual spot. At the hill's center, she found a strange, tall section of grass covering a hole on the bottem.

"That's odd" remarked Aisha, catching up to her leader.

"Indeed. Trent, use your sword" said Arianna.

Trent nodded, and drew his sword to begin chopping the grass down. Patty pulled out a dagger and pitched in with cutting down the grass, until a staircase was revealed.

"Something tells me that wasn't there a moment ago" commented Raymond.

Aisha was puzzled"How on earth would these tunnels somehow appear?"

"Maybe the answers lie in the grottoes themselves" supplied Trent.

"Well, let's check it out" chirped Patty.

The group entered the strange hole and emerged into a tunnel with a slightly lighter landscape. Trent checked the grotto map"This must be the Ceramic Tunnel of Joy."

"Something tells me the name's just for show" remarked Patty.

"Indeed" nodded Arianna, leading the way.

The group entered the ruins, Patty chatted away with Arianna"This certainly reminds me of when we first saw each other. I was pretty rusty at adventuring when I was going through the Hexagon."

"I heard that the place used to serve as a road to Stornway" remarked Trent.

"So what happened?" asked Aisha, curious.

Arianna shrugged"It was around the time I first set out, before everyone except for Erinn, who I've known since... Actually, I first saw Erinn when Master Aquila and I beat back a couple monsters that almost ambushed her and her grandfather. The Hexagon was no cakewalk, though I managed it easily enough."

"How dangerous is it these days?" asked Trent.

The Celestrian replied"Still horrible, I imagine. Some passages were blocked by debries. The Hexagoon, which I ran into while rescuing Patty, was strong but somewhat slow."

"You're just really well experienced" smiled Aisha at who she could help but hope will be her eventual sister-in-law.

"I've trained since I was a child, though I am certainly nowhere close to Master Aquila's level of skill" replied the Celestrian, calmly.

Further down the tunnel, they came accross some Tree-like monsters and a couple Tearwolves. Trent drew his sword"This should be a piece of cake."

A Tearwolf lunged at the blond, who dodged and stabbed the monster with his sword. Arianna blocked as the other Tearwolf clawed at her and kicked it back. Patty smoothly darted around and stabbed the monster with her combat dagger.

Raymond smoothly dodged as the two Treevils ganged up and clawed at him. The Sage smirked"I'm not in the mood to fool around with you guys" and countered with Kaboom.

Aisha sighed as she watched the male sage singe himself a bit in the process and healed him"Must you fool around in a dangerous place?"

"Hey, why not?" grinned the male Sage.

"Hey Patty, that was impressive" remarked Trent.

Patty grinned"Did 'ya know? When traveling with Pheobe, the two of us were known as 'the bombshell buddies', I was mighty good at fighting back in the day. It seems I've still got it."

Arianna smiled briefly"Well, if we're all okay, I think we're about to the end of this tunnel."

The group eventually came to another set of stairs. Arianna paused for a moment"Hm, this aura... It feels similar to Equinox's. Patty, you might want to stay back, there could be a powerful monster down there."

"Oh, don't sweat it, I can keep up with you all" smiled the older girl.

"Either way, we're already pretty deep inside" said Aisha, walking down the stairs. The others glanced at at other for a moment and followed. Arianna could hear a low growl coming from the other end of the lower tunnel as they descended.

"What the heck could that be?" wondered Trent.

"I think we'll find out, shortly" replied Arianna, cautiously walking towards the source of the growl.

The group headed down the tunnel. In a chamber at the far end, a large green-coated beast with greenish wings and a yellow mane stood in the chamber, blocking the way to another one at the end.

Arianna cursed under her breath"I ought to have known."

"What?" asked Trent.

The Celestrian replied"That monster is called Nemean, a legendary beast that was sealed underground in ancient times. This is the first time I've seen it up close."

"Maybe we should keep our distance" muttered Raymond.

"Too late" cried Trent, drawing his sword as the massive winged beast lunged, clawing at him. Trent staggered and countered with a Falcon Slash. Nemean dodged and let out a breath of flame at the group.

"Ugh!" The group was burnt by the fire. Raymond got up"I'm not afraid of you, Kacrack!"

The monster barely shrugged off the spell and lunged, clawing at Raymond. The male sage dodged while Trent attacked Nemean with another Falcon Slash. Arianna hurried to back Trent up and slashed down at Nemean's side. Nemean shot another fire breath in retaliation.

"This is getting out of hand, Omni-Heal!" Alicia had quickly cast a group-healing spell on herself and her companions. Raymond attempted to follow it up with a accelerate spell for his companions, only for Nemean to unleash Disruptive Wave.

"Buffs don't do any good, eh? How's this?" Patty darted forward and diced Nemean in the face. The monster swiped back with its claw in retaliation, only to get a Boom in the face from Raymond.

"Gigaslash!" Arianna let loose a magic shockwave from her sword, piercing Nemean. Nemean jumped backward and blew another breath of flame, but not before Alicia cast Insalute on the group, lessening the flame's impact.

"Your turn, Kaboom!" Raymond threw another spell, singing the monster's fur. The furious Nemean flew up and threw another burst of flame, which the group dodged. As soon as the Nemean landed, Trent rushed forward and dealt a flurry of blows to the monster's face. The Nemean reared back to pound Trent with its claws when Raymond let loose another Kacrack spell.

"Ha, that did it" smirked the mage.

"Not quite" said Aisha, pointing.

Arianna readied her blade as the monster, which had been nicked near the heart by the ice spell, spat one more burst of flame at the group. Arianna jumped over it and slammed her sword down onto its thigh. Nemean jumped into the air to spit fire from above when Aisha and Raymond blasted the creature"KABOOM!"

Before the group's eyes, the monster seemed to rear in pain as it collapsed back onto the ground, hard. Trent watched as Nemean seemed to slowly vanish into thin air.

"Some Grotto Guardian" remarked the male Sage.

Arianna glanced at the chamber ahead"There might be another grotto map ahead."

Trent squared his shoulders and walked into the room beyond. The others followed closely. At the next chamber, Trent found a treasure chest and opened it, revealing another grotto map.

"Wow, even though we didn't find real treasure, we have a map" remarked Patty.

Arianna nodded"Yes, it seems so." Retrieving the map, she read it"Hm, it looks like the next grotto is somewhere in the region near Bloomingdale, Granote Tunnel of Despair...' Hm, well, let's get back to Stornway for now."

"Certainly" grinned Patty.

"Aisha, how bad were the burns?" asked the male Sage.

Aisha shrugged"Not too bad, though it certainly did burn. Hopefully the next Grotto Guardian won't be as tough."

Arianna shrugged"Let's just worry about going back to Stornway and resting up."

The Celestrian cast Evac, warping her and her friends out of the Ceramic Tunnel of Joy.

* * *

><p>How is this? I just couldn't figure out how to make the chapter as long as possible. The next one covers Sellma's sidequest: Has Sellma sold out?<p>

Please feel free to review.


	30. Has Sellma Sold Out?

Here's another chapter. This may not match the game's dialogue exactly, but I am giving Conrad a little more backstory. I should also mention that there are spoilers for Sellma's quest. Details are slightly different, though.

Disclaimer: Like I said, Dragon Quest is the property of square.

* * *

><p>Chapter XXIX: Has Sellma Sold Out?<p>

"How many more grotto guardians do you guys think we have to fight, anyway?" breathed Alicia as they returned to Stornway via the Starflight Express.

"Hopefully not very many" replied Arianna.

"Well either way, that's all the more adventure for everyone" grinned Patty.

Trent studied the treasure map a bit more before putting it away. The male blond addressed Arianna afterwards"Hey Arianna, just a thought, but why are the grottos hidden? I get that neither Celestrians nor Mortals have set foot in them before, but still..."

The Celestrian stopped to reply"The world is full of mysteries. It could've been because we were occupied with saving the world from Corvus. Honestly, I'm surprised that I could not sense the grottos' locations before."

The trek back to the inn was quiet. Arianna walked up to Erinn and said"Good day Erinn, mind if we stay another night?"

"I don't mind at all" smiled the Innkeeper. The group paid for their rooms and went upstairs, where they were greeted by Conrad and Sasha. Patty had returned to work at her Party Place.

"Good evening, how are things?" asked the Paladin.

Trent squared his shoulders"We smashed our way past another Grotto Guardian and got another treasure map."

"Reckon there are many more of those?" grinned Conrad.

Arianna shrugged"Let's just get some sleep. We'll hunt for the grotto, tomorrow."

Trent nodded, then went to join Arianna in a room for two.

"Those two lovebirds have sure gotten closer" remarked Conrad.

"It is to be expected by this point, while Alicia and Raymond are engaged to marry in a couple months" mussed the dark-haired Paladin.

"Want to share a room, Sash?" asked the Ranger, changing the subject.

"Very well" nodded Sasha.

Erinn and Patty watched the two couples with a smile before readying to close the inn for the night. Alicia and Raymond already went upstairs to rest up for another day.

* * *

><p>Trent woke in the same bed as Arianna, a double bed placed for couples. Arianna got up and went to do her hair while Trent went to take a shower. As soon as Arianna was done, she went outside the room to wait for Trent. The blond came out after a minute.<p>

"Ready to meet the others, downstairs?" asked Arianna.

Trent smiled"You bet."

The two went down to the lobby when Conrad met with them"Hey you two, Sellma is asking for a favor."

"Sellma? What's up with her?" puzzled Trent.

"Dunno, just said she needed to ask you for help. Don't know why she wouldn't tell me, Erinn, Patty or Sasha" shrugged the ranger.

Arianna nodded and went to the front desk with Trent. Sellma beamed as she saw them"Morning, Trent. Good morning, Arianna."

"Same to you, Sellma. What's up?" asked the blond Gladiator.

The merchant replied"Nothing too big, I just need to borrow the Quester's Rest's Guestbook."

"Why ask us? Why not just asked Erinn, yourself?" inquired Arianna.

"Top Secret, I just need it for a short while. Besides, the Innkeeper trusts you, more" replied Sellma.

Trent walked over to the innkeeper"Erinn, may I ask if you heard?"

"Yes, you want to borrow the guestbook, right?" asked the Innkeeper.

Arianna, who had walked over with the younger blond, addressed Erinn"Sellma says she needs it."

Erinn nodded hesitantly"Well, okay, you are the inn's most valued guests after all. Ginny is keeping the guestbook in her safe, so you need to talk to her about it, okay?"

Trent and Arianna walked over to the counter where Ginny was running the inn's bank. The purple-haired Celestrian spoke"Ginny, right? We haven't spoken with each other for a long time. We'd like to ask you a favor."

The older woman raised her eyebrow"Is that so? What do you want?"

"We would like to borrow the inn's guestbook. Erinn gave us her permission, already" piped Trent.

Ginny looked reluctant as she thought this through"... Okay, fine. I will give it to you since you have the Innkeeper's permission. Just don't go losing it, all right?"

"Thank you. We'll to return it as soon as possible" curtsied Arianna as the older woman opened a nearby safe to get what looked like a notebook and handed it to the two.

Ginny just curtly nodded"Thank you very much."

Trent and Arianna headed back to where Sellma stood behind the check-in counter. The blond Gladiator handed her the guestbook"This is it."

"Thank you" nodded Sellma.

Arianna smiled"You're welcome."

"So what next, Aria? Should we find the next grotto?" asked Trent.

"Yes. Alicia, Raymond, Sasha, Conrad, come with us" smiled the Celestrian.

"Conrad isn't here right now. He told me he's going on an errand" interjected the dark-haired Paladin.

Arianna raised an eyebrow for a moment, but shrugged it off"We'll have to make do without him, we may be able to handle the next grotto anyway. Patty, would you like to come?"

"I would love to, but I'm afraid I'm a tad busy today" replied the Party Place Manager.

Arianna nodded, then led her group out of the inn. Once they were outside, they saw Sellma walking around and realized she must have snuck out. Conrad was standing in the shadows of a nearby building to watch events unfurl.

Before Trent and Arianna's eyes, a group of three ruffians accosted Sellma. One of them spoke"Hey, what have you got there?"

"Nothing you'd be interested in" replied the merchant, clutching the guestbook she just borrowed.

Another of the ruffians leered"Oh really? Grab her, boys."

Trent was about to draw his sword to go protect Sellma when Arianna grabbed his hand"Wait, we should get more information first before we do anything."

"You have a feeling, don't you?" asked Trent.

Arianna nodded silently, then watched as the ruffians snatched the guestbook from Sellma and knocked her down. As soon as the ruffians fled out of Stornway, Conrad came out of his hiding place to help the 'merchant' up"With the theatrics out of the way, what next?"

"Just keep playing along, okay?" whispered the blond merchant as Trent and Arianna's group approached.

"The guestbook got stolen, didn't it?" asked Trent.

Sellma nodded"Yeah, by the Inntouchables."

"The Inntouchables?" asked Arianna, perplexed.

Conrad elaborated"A no-good gang of thieves led by the infamous Al Cappine. They are quite elusive, based somewhere under Gleeba I reckon."

Alicia frowned an eyebrow"Under Queen Voluptua's nose? How is it possible? And why do you know of the Inntouchables?"

"My dad and I met one of Al Cappine's goons in a secluded place, I've never seen the man himself. The agent seriously pestered us into joining the Inntouchables, my father refused. The agent tried to kill him, but was killed ruthlessly before he could scratch us. My father was a thief himself, you know. He didn't report the Inntouchables because it would've caused more trouble for him and his family" said Conrad.

"Whoever your father was has nothing to do with who you are, Conrad. Remember that, okay?" smiled Sellma.

Sasha rolled her eyes"Yeah, yeah, so what next?"

"We get the Guestbook back and pay a unpleasant visit to the Inntouchables. The 'secluded place' where my dad met the agent was actually at the bottom of the Depths beneath Gleeba" informed Conrad.

"By 'unpleasant visit,' you mean we're going to fight this 'Al Cappine?"' asked Sasha.

"If necessary, the guy doesn't give up easily from what I've heard. Whatever the Inntouchables are after, they won't get away with this. Cappine's agent had the nerve to threaten my father back in the day, the Inntouchables will pay now that I'm old enough to see them put behind bars. Call it personal on my account" shrugged Conrad.

Arianna nodded"Then to Gleeba it is." Pulling out Sterling's whistle, she summoned the Starflight Express to park near Stornway so she and her group can climb aboard.

Sellma addressed Conrad with a whisper"I'll meet up with you, later."

Conrad nodded, then followed his group to the Starflight Express. Arianna steered the train towards Gleeba, then teleported down with her friends so they can march into Mirage Mahal as soon as possible.

"You know the exact place, Conrad? Oh, and how long have you personally known Sellma?" asked Sasha.

"Not exactly, but I have a hunch. As for how I knew Sellma, I guess you'd be surprised that someone like me knows a merchant. Sellma is not a mere shopkeeper, as for the rest, that is for Sellma to reveal if she wants to and for you to find out" explained the brunette ranger.

The group entered the now Public Bathing Chamber and jumped back down the well, into the Plumbed Depths. Trent addressed Conrad along the way"No offense, but that's dodging the question a bit, don't you think?"

"Sorry, my lips are still sealed on the subject" said Conrad as he led them down a different path than when they had to rescue Queen Voluptua from the fygg-transformed Drak.

Arianna shrugged"The world is just so full of mysteries we hadn't uncovered, yet."

They eventually went down the unfamiliar path through the depths to the entrance to a secret chamber at its end. Trent readied himself"I think I hear voices. Is it the Inntouchables you mentioned?"

Conrad nodded, then headed into the secret chamber. The ruffians from earlier were there, along with a slightly plump man with dark hair and clothes. Conrad readied his bow"Say your prayers. Inntouchables."

"What the?" One of the thieves spotted them.

The man spoke"Intruders, I see."

"You're Al Cappine? I am Conrad, son of Jerik the Master Thief" said Conrad, not lowering his bow.

"You're Jerik's brat? How did you find us?" demanded one of the ruffians.

"I suggest you give yourselves up before I make pincushions out of the lot of you" smirked Conrad.

The leader of the Inntouchables's eyes narrowed with rage"Why you... I am indeed Al Cappine, and you will not live to see the light of day."

"I believe that is my group's line" spoke Arianna.

One of the thugs addressed Al Cappine"I think we should get out of here."

The leader of the Inntouchables nodded"Excellent idea, retreat."

Before the Inntouchables could try to escape, a door opened to the side and Sellma came through. Conrad walked ahead to join her"Couldn't have come at a better time."

"Sellma?" asked Arianna, astonished.

Sellma nodded"Pardon me for my deception, but I had to capture the Inntouchables sooner or later."

"Hold on, you're some kind of secret agent?" asked Arianna, remembering how Aquila had pretended to serve King Godwyn before his death.

Sellma smirked"That's right. I am an Undercover Agent from the Sindicate of Pubs, Inns and Taverns. And YOU, Al Cappine, are under arrest. Give yourselves up, Inntouchables."

"Bah, you'd have to catch us, first" growled Al Cappine.

Sellma winked at Arianna's group"Guys, I will need your help."

Trent nodded"Right, we'll take care of these goons."

One thug drew a knife and lunged at Conrad, only for Sasha to intercept with a swift punch in the chest. Conrad fired an arrow at another thug, wounding him before he could act.

Infuriated, Al Cappine called down the nearby tunnel behind him"Rover! Smash Them!"

Before the group's eyes, a ferocious Drastic Drakal emerged and lumbered towards the party. Trent drew his sword"That is one mean-looking Dractyl."

"Trained by Al Cappine himself, I reckon. Call it a hunch" said Conrad, darting around the Drackal to rush at Al Cappine and pound the living daylights out of the Inntouchables' leader.

Rover snarled and spun around to trip Conrad before leaping at Trent with a biting attack. Trent dodged and jabbed at the monster's eye, only for it to dodge and retaliate with a fierce shockwave. Trent was knocked off his feet while Sasha jabbed at Rover with her spear, only for it to move back and snap at her.

Conrad meanwhile got back up in time to see Sellma duke it out with the two uninjured ruffians using a battle staff and went to knock one senseless with a roundhouse kick before turning towards Cappine and firing an arrow at the man's shoulder. The Inntouchables' leader stepped aside and drew a dagger"Prepare to die, brat."

"Oh, we'll see" grinned Conrad, firing another arrow at Cappine made ready to stab at him. Conrad dodged and kicked Cappine back"Not much of a fighter, are you?"

Sasha barely evaded the bite as Rover roared out another shockwave, knocking Alicia and Raymond down. Arianna charged and slashed at the monster's thigh, causing it to flinch and bite at her. Trent shoved Arianna out of the way, taking the blow to his ankle. Alicia got up and healed her brother with a Heal spell before casting Boom at Rover. The Drakal retaliated with a Chilly Breath.

Sellma managed to knock her opponent off his feet and rushed to help Conrad with Al Cappine. The thief jabbed at her, staggering Sellma. Conrad took advantage of the distraction to punch Al Cappine sharply in the chest, knocking him down.

Alicia cast a Mid-Heal on her group while Trent slashed at Rover, which countered by stomping the ground and knocking the group off its feet. Trent got up and thrust his sword forward as Rover attempted a bite attack. The monster whimpered as the blade pierced its tooth and jumped back to counter with another chilly breath, but not before Alicia managed to cast Insulate on her group.

Al Cappine struggled to get back up, as soon as he did however, Sellma stood in front of him"You lose" and knocked him out with her staff.

As Rover stomped again, Trent and Arianna jumped to avoid the mini-quake and charged forward. Trent unleashed two quick slashes"Falcon Slash!"

"Gigaslash!" Arianna spun and unleashed a beam of light at the Drakal. Rover was thrown back by the technique's impact and slammed against a wall. Trent walked forward to where Rover landed and stabbed it in the back.

"Isn't it over?" asked Sasha.

"Needed to be sure, some monsters are tough to kill by what I heard from rumors" said Trent, retrieving his sword and putting it away.

Nearby, Sellma and Conrad had tied up Al Cappine and his henchmen. Arianna put away her sword and addressed Sellma"So what about the guestbook? Not that I'm ungrateful for your actions."

"I got it back already, it was just a decoy used to fool the Inntouchables into thinking they got info on the important guests of the Quester's Rest. See you later, I gotta turn these guys in" grinned Sellma.

Trent addressed Arianna as Sellma led the defeated Inntouchables away"Glad that's over with."

"Yeah, but what a day" breathed Arianna.

Conrad shrugged"Sellma wasn't lying about being part of the Sindicate of Pubs, Inns and Taverns in case you're wondering. The organization gathers information and does police work on the side. I am one of its honorary members, sorry to keep that hidden for so long."

"Really? I never figured it out" breathed Sasha.

The ranger smiled"Ah, don't sweat the details. I'm just glad I helped put those 'Inntouchables' in their place. I knew what Sellma was planning to do as per the Sindicate Leader's orders. I had an uncle who served the Sindicate of Pubs, Inns and Taverns. But he was killed when the Inntouchables mugged him."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that" frowned Arianna.

Conrad grinned"That's fine, what's past is past. Cappine got what he deserved. I know it sounds like I was using you to avenge my uncle's death, but I wasn't. Sellma wouldn't have let me help her if it wasn't for my connections. The Sindicate really knows what it is doing. Part of my day yesterday was spent planning with Sellma to snatch the Inntouchables."

"You did your job, Conrad. I must say you proved yourself even worthier of me. I can somehow imagine your dad laughing in Cappine's stupid face" smiled Sasha.

The group warped out of the Plumbed Depths to return to the Express. Arianna set course back to Stornway so they could check on Sellma if she returned there yet.

"How do you think Erinn and Ginny will react?" asked Alicia, frowning for a moment.

"I think they'll understand, Sellma was only doing what she believed was necessary" shrugged the Paladin.

The group entered the inn to find Sellma already there. Arianna smiled at the blond merchant"Hey, how did you get back before us?"

"Trade secret" smiled Sellma.

"You were awesome back there" said Raymond.

Sellma grinned"Thank you, I handed Al Cappine and his bunch to three other members of the Sindicate. I suppose if you wish to know how I got back here before you that badly, I used a Chimera Wing."

"Has the guestbook been returned?" asked Trent.

"You bet. And the Sindicate has ordered me to make myself available to you whenever you would like me to join you on any of your adventures. Conrad, have you considered becoming an official member of the Sindicate of Pubs, Inns and Taverns?" asked the blond agent.

"Sorry, my place is with my friends. And I don't think Arianna will mind if you could come, sometime" replied Conrad.

"Either way, I am at your service if you need anything. I'll even still sell you my wares" said Sellma.

"Thank you" curtsied Arianna.

* * *

><p>Cliffhanger, here. The next couple chapters may be shorter, but we'll see. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Oh, and despite this chapter, Rover is actually a tougher boss in the game than I made him seem in this chapter.<p>

Please feel free to review.


	31. The Granote Tunnel of Despair

Here it is, another chapter is up and ready. There will be a bit of jumping between characters, so - will be used a couple times in the chapter.

Disclaimer: The Dragon Quest series is Squaresoft's work.

* * *

><p>Chapter XXX: The Granote Tunnel of Despair<p>

"So according to the map, the next grotto is somewhere near Blooomingdale" mussed Conrad.

Arianna nodded"Exactly, though we'd best check our supplies. We don't know what the next grotto guardian is."

Alicia checked her bag to find that several herbs had gone bad and withered slightly. Tossing them out, she turned to address Arianna"Yeah, good idea."

The group headed out of the inn to the nearest item shop. Trent browsed the shop with his sister when they got there, while Arianna, Conrad and Sasha waited outside and talked.

"So when do you think Trent will propose to you, Arianna?" asked Conrad.

The Celestrian squared her shoulders"I do not know, its only been a little bit of time since we officially become a couple. Trent might be a bit forward, but even he is wise enough to take things slow, I can tell."

Alicia browsed the shop until she found a few new healing herbs and medicine. The sage went over to the counter to pay for them, while Trent browsed a bit longer before joining Arianna outside.

"So where exactly should we begin looking when we get to the Bloomingdale region?" asked Conrad.

"Not far from town, though I can only imagine what we'll face next" replied Sasha as she studied the treasure map.

Alicia joined the others outside shortly after she finished shopping. Trent addressed his sister"I have to say, when Arianna first hired us, I didn't think things were getting hectic at every corner. Not that its a bad thing."

"That's true, we'd never ask for a better leader. You know, I have to say the grottos we've been going to were interesting so far. Even though we don't know what they were for in the first place" nodded the female sage.

"Maybe we'll find out after this one. Let's head for the Bloomingdale region" spoke Arianna, heading out.

The others followed her outside where the Celestrian immediately used Zoom to teleport to the entrance of Bloomingdale. Trent piped up"Think anyone in Bloomingdale ever realized what happened to Marion?"

"It's very unlikely, and as before, we have no evidence so there's no point trying to reveal the truth. But hopefully if they ever do realize what happened to Miss Bloome, the town won't suffer too much" replied Arianna as they walked through the plains.

"The grotto has to be somewhere around here, right?" spoke Conrad.

"Supposedly" shrugged Trent.

"I'd suggest splitting up, but only I can locate it" spoke Arianna, walking ahead a bit. The others kept following.

The group eventually came to a patch of earth in the middle of the plains. With her Celestrian senses, Arianna sensed another flight of stairs"If only we knew how we missed the grottos last time... Well, no use complaining, now" she shrugged.

"So we dig here, right?" piped the blond Gladiator.

Arianna shook her head and uttered a spell to make the hidden staircase visible. With caution, she proceeded to lead the way into an underground passage similar to the Tunnel of Woe.

"Granote Tunnel of Despair... I wonder why the grottos have such awkward names?" mussed Conrad.

"Only the Almighty knows, but clearly the names reflect a certain kind of feeling or emotion" muttered Alicia as they looked around.

The path ahead eventually led the group to a crossroads, one path led straight ahead while another led to the right. Arianna surveyed the area before speaking"This grotto is a bit more complicated than the last one."

"So which path should we take?" asked Sasha.

The Celestrian squared her shoulders"Let's split up into groups of three. Trent, Conrad, you're with me. Raymond, Alicia, Sasha, you go ahead and take the path to the right. The rest of us will go ahead. If one group finds anything important, wait until the others catch up."

Trent nodded"Right, let's do it."

Raymond, Alicia and Sasha set off down the tunnel passage to the right. The male sage addressed his fiancé"You know, we don't have to keep up this adventuring business. Why not change professions?"

"Arianna and Trent may still need our magic to help solve the mystery of the grottos" replied the female sage.

The path down the right led to what looked like a dead end, but two shadowy red figures lurked in the shadows. Sasha stopped"Hold on, what's that smell?"

"Slimes?" Raymond approached the corner, then uttered a spell"I got this. Kaboom!"

"Wait, don't-"

Alicia's warning came too later, however. The moment Raymond's spell was cast, the two figures shrugged it off and retaliated with a mighty laser beam attack. Annoyed, the female sage cast Multi-heal on her allies to undo some of the damage.

"Dead end, and there are monsters here, no doubt. I suspect that those are Darkonium Slimes, they shrug off magic damage. I'll hold them here, you go get the others" instructed Sasha.

Raymond nodded"Right" and left with Alicia. Sasha stood her ground as the two slimes lunged, the Paladin jabbed at one Darkonium Slime as it lunged.

* * *

><p>Arianna's group went on ahead until they found a staircase. Arianna stopped"This might lead to our destination, but there is only one way to find out."<p>

"So we're waiting for the others?" asked Conrad.

The Celestrian nodded.

"These grottos sure are dark and damp, what were they originally?" wondered Trent.

"Probably some ancient structure or some sort of tunnel network, I was never told of them before my fall onto the Protectorate from the Observatory. Corvus sure didn't hesitate to unleash that quake on both our worlds. But now he is at peace, so I shall not trouble the dead with our concerns" said Arianna, thoughtfully.

"Reckon the higher ups should know?" asked the brunette ranger.

Trent shrugged"Probably not. They are probably very busy, and we don't really have solid evidence, the maps could've led to anything."

"Hey" Raymond and Alicia approached.

"Find anything? Where's Sasha?" asked Arianna.

Alicia replied"Raymond foolishly provoked a couple Darkonium Slimes, now Sasha is facing off against them while we came back to get you. Darkonium Slimes have some sort of protective magic that drastically lessens the effectiveness of magic."

"I'll go" Conrad darted ahead.

* * *

><p>The Female Paladin managed to slay one Darkonium Slime before the other one attempted to slam her. Sasha barely got out of the way and retaliated with a jab. The monster jumped back and countered with a laser beam attack.<p>

Sasha was blasted off her feet for a moment before she managed to get up and dodge another laser beam. The Paladin jabbed again at the monster, which retaliated with a body slam.

"Need a hand?" Conrad rushed into the room and fired an arrow at the slime. The arrow passed through, but stunned it long enough for Sasha to finish it off with a mighty thrust.

"So much for that" grinned the ranger.

"Thanks, Conrad" acknowledged the Paladin.

Conrad smirked"No problem. Trent, Arianna and I found a staircase below. Oh, and look there" he raced into the shadowy corner of the room to find a treasure chest. Opening it, he found a mini medal and some gold.

"Great find, let's go the other path" acknowledged Sasha.

The two headed back to the fork and took the other path back to where the others were waiting. Arianna glanced at the two"We all appear to be unharmed, let's check downstairs."

The group went down to another passageway on the lower level, navigating through a couple more chambers before coming to one guarded by a huge reddish slime with a moustache and goatee. Its rider, a green and blue-clad imp stared down at the group.

"Another grotto guardian... Not that I'm complaining" remarked Trent.

The monster acknowledged the group"Aye, and I am Shogum. I challenge you all!"

"Shogum, silly name for even a slime I reckon" smirked Conrad.

Shogum swung one of its two swords down, nearly slicing into Conrad. The Ranger rolled out of the way and fired an arrow in retaliation, only for the red slime to slam into him. Sasha and Trent slashed at the red slime's jelly-like skin, only for Shogum to cast Kaboom.

Alicia healed her allies while Raymond readied a counterspell at Shogum"Kaboom!"

The spell barely dented Shogum, who retaliated with a flurry of sword slashes at the group. Annoyed, Trent lashed at it with Double Slash. Conrad fired an arrow at Shogum, who promptly used a second sword to knock the arrow out of the air. Raymond and Alicia cast a magic shield spell to defend their allies as Shogum launched another Kaboom spell, only for the monster to remove the effects with a disruptive wave.

"Witless slime knight, isn't it?" shrugged Conrad, firing an arrow at Shogum. This time, the attack caught it by surprise.

Arianna cast Kabuff on her allies before slashing at the red slime's 'face'. The monster retaliated with Kaboom and slammed the group hard. Alicia healed the group again, while Raymond attacked Shogum with Kacrack.

"Don't let it get to you" Sasha jabbed the monster with her lance while Trent struck hard with Dragonslash. The Red Slime staggered long enough for Conrad to shoot Shogum with another arrow. Irratated, Shogum cast another Kaboom spell.

"Omniheal!" Arianna healed her allies while Trent hacked again at the red slime. Shogum attempted to cast another Kaboom when Conrad shot the slime knight in the chest.

"Foiled" smirked the Ranger.

"Its not over yet" snarled Shogum, slashing at the group before unleashing one more Kaboom spell.

"Trent, let's double team this monstrosity" said Arianna.

Trent nodded with a smile"Let's do it."

Facing Shogum, the duo channeled magic energy into their blades before unleashing it"Gigaslash!"

Shogum staggered and retaliated with Kaboom and another fierce flurry of sword slashes.

While Alicia healed her allies, Arianna gathered magical energy into a more powerful spell, unleashing bolts of light at Shogum"By the arcane might of thunder and the divine power of the Almighty: Gigagash!"

The spell pummeled Shogum and its mount, eventually wearing them down. The Slime Knight fell of its mount, dead, while the huge red slime melted into thin air. The group sheathed their weapons.

"Another guardian bites the dust" smirked Conrad.

"There's another treasure chest" Trent walked over to a chest at the end of the room and opened it, revealing another map.

"What does that one say?" asked Alicia.

The Gladiator shrugged"The Granite Ruins of Doubt... I wonder what's there."

"I see a plaque" Sasha ran over to some writings on the wall.

Arianna walked over to inspect it"Hm. Ah, it could be describing the grottos and their respective guardian beasts."

"It looks like its written in some sort of ancient transcript" remarked Sasha, noting the strange writings which did not look like the modern alphabet.

The Celestrian studied the plaque"I've seen this before at the Observatory. But the place is gone, so I would not be able to go to my old home even with the Starflight Express. I wonder if Lady Celestria knows about them."

"Should we drop in on her at the Realm of the Almighty?" asked the blond Gladiator.

Arianna shrugged"I suppose it cannot hurt to try. Whether she knows anything may be doubtful however since she spent the last several hundred years or so in the form of the Yagdrasil Tree."

The group studied the ancient murals on the plaque before turning around to leave the grotto.

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><p>Finally got the next chapter ready, next will have Erinn's quest, but I don't know the exact details of the quest you do to unlock her as a playable character. After the next grotto-centered chapter will feature Aquila's sidequest.<p>

Don't get me wrong, I will try to wrap up the grotto subplot as best I can before covering the quest that unlocks Aquila as a playable character. I will also cover the OCs Raymond and Alicia's wedding, though I may not have Trent and Arianna marry in this fic. I can do that though if you want me to.

Please feel free to review.


	32. Inny for a Penny, Inn for a Inny

Here's the next chapter. Though this covers one of Erinn's quests, some of it may not be completely accurate since I never played this side-quest. This will still include spoilers, and there may be a few made up details of my creation.

Disclaimer: The Dragon Quest games, characters, locations, etc. are the work of squaresoft.

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><p>Chapter XXXI: Inny for a Penny, Inn for an Inny<p>

The group returned to the Starflight Express and set course for the Realm of the Almighty, which had been restored since Arianna and her companions stopped Corvus. Trent looked around after they landed there and exited"Looks like the place is back to its old self."

"Indeed" Arianna headed up the stairs from the platform they landed on.

The six went up to the Palace of the Almighty, where Celestria stood in front of the throne. Arianna went up to her"Good day my lady, please pardon me for this sudden visit. But I needed to speak with you."

The older woman was surprised"Arianna? How did you manage to return here? Ah, never mind. I suppose I'd have been more shocked if it was any other one of my children, What brings you here?"

The Celestrian knelt"I regained my Celestrian powers by using a Fygg that a Lleviathan managed to get ahold of. At present, I've been investigating previously unknown areas known only as Grottoes, which are hidden in some areas of the Protectorate."

Celestria smiled"All the same, I am pleased to see you again. And you're investigating the grottoes? I am impressed you discovered the ancient ruins and tunnels which lay beneath the overworld of the protectorate."

"My lady, if I may speak, we found ancient murals in one of the grottoes. But we don't know what they mean" spoke Trent.

Celestria was surprised"Ah. You have? Hm. I have a very good guess as to what the murals mean, but do not take these words to heart. This is merely what you mortals call a hunch. The underground structures you speak of may actually be remnants of a civilization lost long before your time."

"We've also fought monsters such as the Equinox and the Shogum. Do they have anything to do with that civilization?" asked Conrad.

Celestria shook her head"I do not know, nor am I familiar with the creatures you speak of. Perhaps... It has something to do with my father's condition, all I know is he was nearly killed by Corvus. Only you can find the answer, for I'm afraid I've lost contact with the Protectorate during my time as the Yagdrasil Tree."

"His condition? Did your old man kick the bucket?" frowned Conrad.

Sasha shook her head at the remark. Even she was not fool enough to mock the Almighty.

"No, as I said, he still lives. Perhaps the mystery will unravel as you explore more grottoes" replied Celestria.

Arianna nodded"That's true, I suppose."

The group said their good-byes to Celestria and returned to the Starflight Express. Trent addressed Arianna"So what should we do now? We have a new treasure map, should we go to the next grotto?"

"Not quite, I should pay Erinn a visit and study the map some more" replied Arianna, setting course for Stornway.

Trent nodded and sat back, taking the time to clean his sword. The Starflight Express flew to Stornway, where the group jumped off and headed into the inn. Arianna went to speak to the innkeeper"How is everything? Pardon the sudden visit."

"I am always glad to see you, Arianna. You know how my father earned his trophy for being an Incredible Inntertainer? The Inny competition had just gone underway, and I've just won one round. The Inny final is coming up, and both the Quester's Rest and the Angel Falls inn require two participants. Would you like to be my partner?" smiled Erinn.

"I've heard of it, my mother told me that the Incredible Inntertainer earned his trophy and title from the King of Stornway who was the judge of the competition" acknowledged Alicia.

Arianna nodded"I'd be honored, Erinn. What do you need me to do?"

"You'll have to ask the king for details" replied the Innkeeper.

Arianna nodded and left to go to Stornway Castle, accompanied by Trent. The pair headed into the castle towards the throne room. King Schott was holding court in his throne room when he saw the group"Ah. Long time no see."

"Good to see you again, too, your majesty" acknowledged Arianna.

"How is your daughter?" asked Trent.

The King of Stornway replied"She is doing fairly well last I heard, she joined a group called the Back to Brigadoom Organization or something like the sort. But anyway, what brings you two here?"

"Back to Brigadoom? Is that old place being revitalized?" murmured Arianna.

Trent piped in"Erinn invited Arianna to join her for the Inny Finals. She was asked to be her partner."

The king was surprised"Ah. What a pleasant surprise. In that case, may I ask you to retrieve some Platinum Ore for me? The Quester's Rest Innkeeper asked me earlier if I could spare soldiers to find this high-quality ore she could sell, but I am unable to. This contest also requires me to judge the Quester's Rest for the Innys. Supposedly, monsters called Octagoons drop them."

"Where can we find Octaagoons?" asked Arianna.

"I don't know" shrugged the king.

Arianna thanked the king and headed out with Trent. The Celestrian pulled out the treasure map"Okay, let's see. Oh, the map seems to be located in the Gittish Empire, northwest of the Gortress."

"So let's go" smiled Trent.

The two teleported out of Stornway to the Gittish Empire. Heading towards the Gortress, Arianna studied the map some more as they explored the empire's barren landscape. Trent gazed at the surroundings"Say, what does a Octagoon look like?"

"If I have to guess... Huh. There was a monster called the Hexagoon, which I think I told you about before. If those Octagoons are anything like the monster I saved Patty from, it may be tough" shrugged Arianna.

The two found a hidden staircase which was marked on the map and proceeded down. The dark, eerie atmosphere tipped Arianna off"This must be the Granite Ruins of Doubt. Hm."

"I'll go first" said Trent, drawing his sword and leading the way.

The pair pressed down a pathway and entered the eerie ruin. Trent muttered"Its took quiet" as he explored. Arianna calmly gazed at their surroundings.

At that moment, a rumble was heard as three horned figures appeared. Trent readied himself"Think that's the Octagoons?"

"It is possible, but there is only one way to know for sure" replied the Celestrian.

One Octagoon created a quake to knock the pair off their feet. Another charged with its horns, which Trent managed to roll out of the way of and stabbed the monster in the thigh. Arianna finished that one off. Infuriated, the remaining two Octagoons rammed at them. The two dodged and countered the beasts, prompting the monsters to counter with a quake slam.

"Right. Enough of this, Falcon Slash!" Arianna slashed an Octagoon with her sword twice in succession.

"Hey, horn head!" Trent taunted an Octagoon, which charged and trampled at him with its hooves. Trent fell for a moment, but managed to slash at the creature's head. The monster dodged long enough for Trent to slash its horn off. The annoyed Octagoon readied another quake, which Trent jumped and countered with a stab. His sword connected to the monster's forehead, causing the Octagoon to back off and slam down its hooves, causing a debris to fall down on Trent. The Gladiator collapsed to the ground.

"Right" Arianna channeled energy into her blade after fighting the other Octagoon for a bit"You now will face my full might." Channeling the energy into a gigantic energy wave with a slash of her sword, Arianna blasted the two Octagoons"GIGASLASH!"

The energy wave pierced the tough skins of the Octagoons, which collapsed in a thump, shaking the room for a moment. Arianna staggered, but managed to regain her balance and walk over to Trent's unconscious body. Stella flew into the room and located the two"Oh, flap. I thought I sensed a tremor down here. Are you okay?"

"Yeah" shrugged Arianna, administrating a yagdrasil leaf on the inert Gladiator"But what are you doing here, Stella?"

"I got flapping bored, that's all. I went to find you two" shrugged the fairy.

Arianna waited until Trent recovered. The Gladiator rubbed his head as he stood"Man, those monsters packed a punch."

"Are you all right?" asked Arianna.

"Yeah, I think so" shrugged Trent.

Arianna walked over to one of the dead Octagoons and examined its body before spotting a particular silvery ore inside one of its horns"Wait a second, I just need to harvest the platinum ore. Who'd have guessed these Octagoons would be carrying one?"

Upon harvesting the Platinum, Arianna looked ahead"Hm. Since we've come this far, we may as well finish exploring. There might be another treasure map."

Trent and Arianna, accompanied by Stella, headed deeper into the ruin until they came to a room guarded by a large monster which resembled Goreham-Hogg. Trent readied himself, surprised"Is that Goreham-Hogg? How can he still be alive?"

"No, there's something different about this monster's aura" said Arianna.

The monster growled"You've got that right, my name is Hammible. Prepare to die!"

"Guess again" said Trent.

Hammible swung its spiked ball and chain at Trent, who dodged and charged at the monster. Hammible dodged and swung his weapon again, which sent Trent slamming into a wall. The blond got up"That didn't hurt... much."

"Mid-Heal!" Arianna healed Trent before turning her attention to the Goreham-Hogg look-alike and dodging as the monster flung its chained spiked ball down at her. Trent charged forward and stabbed Hammible. The monster retaliated with a spin attack, which Arianna dodged. Trent put away his sword and took out the lance, charging with a thrust. Hammible dodged and swung its weapon, only for Trent to roll out of the way.

"As formidable a foe as this is, I won't let it stop us" said Arianna, slashing Hammible in the thigh. The monster staggered and countered with another swing, only for Trent to intervene with a powerful thrust.

"Now's my chance. Gigaslash!" Arianna's attack knocked Hammible backwards long enough for Trent to stab it. As Trent withdrew his sword, Hammible collapsed.

"That flapping little ham-sandwich went bye-bye" grinned Stella.

"There's something curious about the grotto guardians, come to think of it" remarked Arianna.

Trent addressed the Celestrian"What exactly was he?"

"Hammible supposedly lived in a beautiful palace with an equality beautiful daughter, his rightful form was something else entirely" came a voice. Arianna gasped as she saw the face of a Celestrian man with fair hair and eyes the same color as Arianna's.

Trent was shocked"Who said that?"

Arianna stood, surprised at the man's figure"Father?"

The man nodded"I was once a Celestrian called Harkin, husband to Florianna. Arianna, you've really grown."

"How did you get here?" whispered Arianna.

The Celestrian man shrugged"Lady Celestria has the power to recall people's memories. She's taken the liberty to revive me for a short time, long enough for me to tell you this. The Grotto Guardians are supposedly essences of King Zenus, who mortals and Celestrians alike refer to as the Almighty. Did the monsters not speak when you saw them?"

Arianna nodded"Yes, but how could they be essences of the Almighty?"

"The final two monsters should clue you in on that. But alas, my time is running short. Celestria is expending a part of her power to keep me here in the present to tell you this, perhaps by defeating those monsters, you will eventually help King Zenus regain his true form. It took until not too long ago for Celestria to locate her father's aura and the beings he was split into" replied Harkin, who'd begun to fade.

"Father? Are you leaving again?" asked Arianna.

Harkin nodded sadly"Yes, for the father you see is actually a spirit summoned by Celestria. Tell the young man next to you he'd better take good care of you, your mother told me about him. I leave one final gift to you, my daughter."

Arianna watched as the Celestrian faded back into a star, leaving a map in his place. Arianna picked it up"Hm. This one points to the Lair of Gloom. Let's go back to Stornway and give the ore to Erinn, Trent."

The blond nodded"Yeah. Oh, and was the guy you were talking to your dad? I couldn't see him."

Arianna nodded"Yes, he told me to take good care of him. I didn't expect Lady Celestria to do such a thing for me."

The two exited the grotto and warped to Stornway. Alicia stood outside the inn to greet them"Hey, you two. What took so long? Didn't know you were on a date."

"What? No. The king of Stornway just asked us to retrieve some platinum ore" shrugged Trent.

The three, accompanied by Stella, entered the inn. Arianna headed over to Erinn"Hi, the king had asked me to procure this ore for you. He couldn't spare soldiers to do it, so he had to hire me and Trent instead."

"I see, and what a great job. But Arianna, are you and Trent okay?" asked Erinn.

The blond shrugged"We ran into a few nasty monsters and found another grotto treasure map. I think we're getting close to figuring out the grotto's mysteries, Alicia."

The older blond smiled"Nice job. You sure had me, Conrad, Raymond and Sasha worried, though."

"Sorry, but I could not keep my client waiting" shrugged the Celestrian.

Erinn smiled"Hey, I've been thinking. The next time you guys go out on an adventure, may I tag along? I asked Raymond to give me a few pointers on how to use magic."

Arianna thought for a moment"I can't really say no, so okay. Only, you might want to let me and the others handle the really dangerous monsters."

"I will keep that in mind" acknowledged Erinn.

The group handed the Platinum to Errin who passed it to Stella. Arianna remained downstairs while Trent, Sasha, Conrad, Raymond and Alicia went up to the suites to rest. Erinn and her partner waited until the king of Stornway entered the inn.

"Your majesty, welcome" bowed Erinn.

King Schott nodded"I see you're doing as well as always. I heard about you."

"It is an honor to be known to his majesty. Patty, did you tell him?" asked Erinn.

Patty nodded"Yep."

King Schott inspected the inn before addressing Erinn, taking the time to buy the ore from Stella while he was at it"You have a fine inn. The winner of the Inny contest is undoubtedly you, Erinn. No less is to be expected from the daughter of the Inncredible Inntertainer."

Erinn bowed"Thank you."

The king left the inn, two of his guards were waiting outside to escort him back to the palace.

Arianna went towards the suite, saying good night to Erinn as she went to bed, her thoughts heavy on what she'd just learned.

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><p>I hope no one was too put off by the long wait. Only three or four chapters to go, here. And yeah, I did make up a few things after all.<p>

Feel free to review.


	33. Fowl Play in the Lair of Gloom

Hm. After some thinking, I figure I should wrap up the grotto subplot during the chapter after this one.

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest is the work of Squaresoft.

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><p>Chapter XXXII: Fowl Play in the Lair of Gloom<p>

Arianna slept for six hours that night as she pondered what may happen as a result of her and her friends' actions. When she woke the next day, the Celestrian went to the parlor to get some coffee when she met Trent, Alicia, Conrad, Sasha, and Raymond there.

"Hey, how did you sleep?" asked Alicia.

"Barely got enough, I was dueling with some unpleasant thoughts. Trent, where does the map we just got say where the Lair of Gloom is?" responded the Celestrian.

Trent studied the map, glancing carefully at the terrain"I can't quite make it out, but this one might also be in the Gittish region, southeast of Gittingham Palace. Man, those grottoes get a bit redundant, apart from the monsters."

Sasha shrugged"At least we know where the next one is. I wonder what terrain the Lair of Gloom is comprised of."

"Won't know until we find out, right?" remarked Conrad.

The group went out to the lobby after a rousing breakfast. Erinn was waiting for them"Good morning, everyone."

"Morning. Would you and Patty be interested in coming?" asked Alicia.

Erinn smiled"Sure, I'll just leave Ginny in charge while I'm with you."

"Count me in" piped Patty.

The eight stepped outside the Quester's Rest. Arianna readied to cast Zoom"We're on our way to a hidden grotto, it may be dangerous."

"No sweat, I've done dangerous stuff before" assured Patty.

Trent shrugged"Well, guess we can't really talk you out of it."

Arianna finished casting her Zoom spell, transporting herself and her group to the entrance to Gittingham Palace. Conrad glanced at the old building"Reckon the place is creepier since the Triumgorate and Godwyn were defeated."

"It wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't. So where exactly is the next grotto?" stated Sasha.

Arianna headed southwest"Somewhere nearby, I just need to locate it."

"So what's in the grotto you mentioned?" asked Erinn.

The Celestrian replied"The grottoes are actually a network of tunnels and ruins of some sort, each of the grottoes I've been to so far had a guardian beast. They supposedly have some connection to the Almighty, but that is uncertain."

"I've been to one with you guys, so I know what to expect. Erinn, you might want bring up the rear with me" chirped Patty.

The Innkeeper nodded"Great idea, and I have to say, it all sounds interesting. But I'm not so sure I believe that bit about the Almighty having something to do with the underground grottoes."

"I don't blame you" said Arianna, calmly.

They headed down the passageway, keeping alert for monsters. Trent looked around the ruin"Dreary place, no wonder this is the lair of gloom."

"Who would name such a place?" wondered Erinn.

Trent stopped and glanced ahead as he saw several bug-like monsters appear. Trent drew his sword"Looks like we've got company."

"Cyber Spiders, I've heard of these monsters. And look!" cried the Celestrian, spotting a Golem which lumbered towards them.

Raymond threw a spell at the approaching monsters"Kaboom!"

The blast killed two Cyber Spiders and singed the Golem, which swung its powerful arm at Trent. The Gladiator dodged and charged with a thrust, cracking the monster. The Golem countered by swinging its arm downward. Trent jumped back just as Conrad shot an arrow at the monster's chest.

Two Cyber Spiders advanced on Patty, who was darting and jabbing her dagger when she got the chance. Erinn nervously cast a few fireballs, which barely dented the bugs. Raymond quickly blasted the spiders with a Boom spell.

Trent dodged another attack from the Golem and countered with Falcon Slash. Arianna cut in and slashed her sword multiple times at the Golem's chest. The monster crumbled from the combo.

The remaining Cyber Spiders advanced on Sasha, who had managed to kill one. Erinn, Conrad and Patty rushed to the Paladin's aid. Before the monsters could do any damage, Erinn and Patty managed to finish off the monsters.

"Nice one" smirked Conrad.

"Well, we know these ruins are guarded" said Trent, leading the way to some stairs leading downward. The group headed downstairs to find a single, narrow corridor. Arianna took the lead.

"Hey, Erinn. Think we'll see those guys... Jessica, Angelo, and Milly again sometime?" asked Trent.

Erinn paused to think for a moment"I don't know, and again, I'm not supposed to divulge customer information. But apparently, they came from some kind of parallel world as Milly put it."

"I've heard of these 'parallel' worlds in lore and legend. No one in our world has ever set foot in one, supposedly. I only wish I could enter another dimension, but I'd rather not be taken in by such foolishness, as my teacher would've put it" chimed the Celestrian.

The tunnel led to one more set of stairs, which took them to a hallway that led to a large chamber, similar to the other grottoes. Trent readied himself"Let me guess, another guardian awaits us."

"Erinn, Patty, you might want to sit this out" said Arianna.

"No, its okay. We'll keep our distance if we need to, but we're going to help you anyway" smiled the Innkeeper.

The group entered the chamber to see two golems accompanied by a dark bird-like figure holding a staff with a beak at its end. Arianna gasped"This one looks like Hootingham-Gore. But that's not him."

"Hoot, you got that quite right" said the bird-like monster.

Arianna readied herself"Who are you?"

The monster chortled as ten Cyber Spiders entered the room"Fowleye, that is what I am. Hoo, hoot. Like Nemean, Equinox, and Hammibal, I am an essence of the Almighty. Do you dare challenge me? Hoo, hoot."

"You're really part of Celestria's father?" asked Arianna, slowly realizing that Fowleye and the spirit of her father couldn't both be lying.

"Hoot, indeed. When the light storm struck, Zenus was splintered into separate entities. I am one of them, I assure you, hoot. Thank you for the lengthy delay, you are doomed" sneered Fowleye.

With that, the ten Cyber Spiders descended and advanced on the party, one of them lunging with a bite at Erinn. The Innkeeper dodged and shot a fireball, frying it. Patty finished the monster with her dagger.

"You're a coward, Fowleye" remarked Trent as he cut down two Cyber Spiders and cut down a third.

"Kaboom!" Raymond blasted several spiders while Sasha, Conrad and Alicia tackled one of the Golems.

"Kazam! Tornado!" Fowleye's wind spells knocked the party back.

Arianna got back up"Big mistake" and lunged at Fowleye. The monster blocked her sword with its staff and the two of them began to clash. Fowleye swung his staff at Arianna, who blocked each swing successively and stabbed at the monster bird. Fowleye jumped back and let loose another Tornado. Arianna was thrown back.

Conrad let loose arrow after arrow at the Golem while Sasha stabbed at it. Alicia backed her comrades with healing spells and an occasional Boom spell. The Golem swung a fist down at the female sage, who rolled out of the way. Conrad shot it in the chest, staggering it long enough for Alicia to cast Boom, causing the golem to crumble into dust.

Trent toyed with his opponent as he slashed and jumped back until he used a Falcon Slash to finish it off. Nearby, Raymond managed to defeat the remaining Cyber Spiders with his strongest spell.

Arianna managed to get back up and jump back as Fowleye cast Zam. The Celestrian jumped over it and came down with a slash at her opponent. Patty joined Arianna by catching Fowleye off guard with a slice of her dagger. Fowleye staggered and countered Patty's attack with a swing of his stave. Arianna took advantage and slashed Fowleye again. The bird-like monster irritably let loose another wind spell at the two.

"I've had enough of this buzzard" said Trent, charging into the fray with a Falcon Slash. Fowleye blocked and was about to cast another wind-based spell when Arianna surprised him with a thrust.

Staggering, Fowleye groaned"Hoo... I underestimated you... Hoot. But I'm not about to admit defeat yet!" With that, he cast another tornado, which Alicia helped her allies recover from with Multi-Heal. Trent darted forward and stabbed Fowleye. The monster collapsed and disintegrated into thin air.

"That was too close. Not bad for a first adventure, right?" remarked Patty.

"I suppose so... In a hair-raising way" said Erinn.

Trent glanced ahead"The Final Treasure map must be up ahead."

"And with it, the location for the final battle with a Grotto Guardian. Hopefully, King Zenus will be able to regain his true form and sanity after this" nodded Arianna.

"Who's King Zenus?" asked Patty.

Trent shrugged"The Almighty's true name, he has a daughter called Celestria, an ancestor of Arianna. Arianna was a Celestrian, which were the guardians of our world until they returned to the skies. Arianna remains the only Guardian of the world. Supposedly, they had halos and wings."

"So the Celestrians are like Protective Angels? Amazing" smiled Patty.

"They were, and I'm the last one as far as I know. The last Celestrian... It is kind of lonely to think of it that way... But I know I'm not alone. I have many good friends, here. And maybe a family if Trent and I marry" acknowledged Arianna.

"Yeah, that's pretty much for sure" blushed Trent at the thought of possibly having children with Arianna in the future. Another thought crossed his mind as he addressed the Celestrian"Have there been any Mortal/Celestrian couples besides us?"

"Not that I know of, Serena and Corvus don't really count, but at least they're together in the afterlife. Apus Major and Master Aquila would be in for a shock if that ever happened" smiled Arianna.

"Hey, I think the treasure chest is up ahead" said Conrad, heading to the end of the room.

Arianna walked over to open the chest, revealing a map. Inspecting it, she said"This one leads to the Water Crypt of Glee. I wonder what the final Grotto Guardian will be... I'm not sure I dare hope its not another Triumgorate look-a-like."

"Even if it is, we'll send the monster packing" grinned Trent.

Erinn smiled"Well, shall we return to the inn?"

"Good idea" said Arianna, casting Evac to get herself and the others out of the grotto and Zoom to return to Stornway. The group went into the Quester's Rest to have a late lunch, consisting of some curry and a salad.

Trent stood after he was done and said"Arianna, could we take a walk outside?"

"Sure" replied the Celestrian, who had finished her portion. The two headed to the bridge between Stornway and Coffinwell overlooking the river which extended into the ocean.

Trent breathed"I wonder how long it was since we first met."

"About a month, give or take, I don't pay much attention to the number of days gone by. I was determined to find my way back to the Observatory at that time and managed to help protect Stornway and Coffinwell. Sure, the Wight Knight was no real threat compared to the demon who destroyed Brigadoom, but everywhere we went has been an adventure" smiled Arianna.

The blond Gladiator glanced at the sky for a bit"Think after we finish the grottoes... We could build a house close to Stornway?"

"Maybe, I wouldn't want to be too far away from town, though. The plains are no safe place to raise a family if we do marry and get to that point. Perhaps Angel Falls or Stornway itself would have a place for us" mussed Arianna.

The pair continued to gaze at the sky, unaware that Conrad and Sasha were spying on them. The Ranger shrugged"Those two certainly are getting it together."

"Yes, I believe so myself. Let's get away from here before we're caught" said the Paladin. The Ranger and the Paladin retreated back to Stornway. The Celestrian and the Gladiator returned to the inn themselves shortly after the sun began to set.

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><p>These grotto chapters are just not very long, are they? Maybe the next one will be longer. I know there are more than six grotto bosses, but I'm not covering all of them. The next chapter will feature the last postgame party member.<p>

Feel free to review if you want.


	34. When a Star Wishes Upon You

The second to last chapter is on. Well, second to last bonus chapter that is. The epilogue should be after this one, and maybe I'll have Arianna and Trent get married at the beginning of the sequel if I come up with one. I have a few other fics that I ought to try to finish before I attempt to do a sequel, though.

Some of the details here may not be canon. And there are spoilers for the post-game side quest: When a star wishes upon you.

Disclaimer: The Dragon Quest series is created by Square.

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><p>Chapter XXXIII: When A Star Wishes Upon You...<p>

While sleeping that night, Arianna began to have a strange dream. One of the stars in the sky shone brighter than the others, and in the dream, she swore she heard a voice calling to her.

This lasted until she woke early. Puzzled at what she just heard in the dream, she walked down to the lobby. Trent had woken early to go train a bit with his sword a few minutes prior, so she simply walked towards the exit when the Celestrian heard a voice"Arianna."

"Hm?" The Celestrian turned to see a winged woman with short silver hair and green eyes. She wore a black top with two black detached sleeves starting at the upper part of her arms, a choker and a skirt followed by a violet waist cape underneath.

"Arianna, can you hear me?" asked the winged woman.

The Violet-haired Celestrian nodded and asked quietly"Who are you?"

The older being replied"I am Pavo, a Celestrian. You appear to be the same being as I... Yet with no halo or wings. Ah. Pardon me, I have a request for you, will thou lesson?"

Arianna nodded"I'll do my best, what do you want me to do?"

"I have sensed it, you must have sensed the same thing in your dreams, I can feel it. A star has glistened in the sky, more so than the others. I ask that you seek the mythical Prayer Pearl and go see Lady Celestria. Can I ask this of you?" inquired Pavo.

Arianna thought for a moment"I would love to help, but I'm trying to help King Zenus at present. I must go to the final grotto, the Water Crypt of Glee. After my business is complete, I will take care of your request."

"And I would be grateful, but that very grotto is where you may be able to find the Prayer Pearl. I cannot explain how I know, I just sense it. Good luck" spoke Pavo, withdrawing into the shadows.

Arianna shrugged, not knowing what to think of what she had just heard and walked outside. Trent was finishing his early-morning training when he saw her"Hey, good morning."

"Morning, there's something we need to do" said Arianna.

"What's that?" asked the blond swordsman.

The Celestrian replied"While we must find the Water Crypt of Glee, I got a request from someone called Pavo to seek a treasure called the Prayer Pearl, and I have to bring it to Lady Celestria. Supposedly, the pearl lies there as well."

Trent was puzzled"Who's Pavo?"

"She is a Celestrian, but I don't know how she's still here since all the other Celestrians became stars in the sky. Anyway, let's get the others" said Arianna, heading back inside with the Gladiator.

Conad, Sasha, Raymond and Alicia were in the parlor talking while Erinn and Patty were making breakfast. Sellma was reading a book at a table opposite of the seasoned Adventurers.

"Hey, what's the plan for day?" asked Conrad, seeing the pair.

Trent replied"We'll look for the Water Crypt of Glee. We learned there is something some called the Prayer Pearl, which could be found there."

"Sounds like more adventure for us" grinned the brunette Ranger.

The group talked until Erinn came over to their table"We thought you guys would like some fruit salad for breakfast. How's that? Patty, Sellma and I will be eating with you."

"Oh, morning. That sounds great, Erinn" smiled Arianna.

Patty came over with a huge plate of salad and the group got separate dishes to put a portion of salad on for themselves. As they ate, there was little small talk, save for Arianna explaining to Erinn what she'll be doing.

The innkeeper smiled"Well, good luck. I will stay here at the inn, this time. I need to keep up with my work."

"Me too" chimed Patty.

Trent addressed Arianna"Guess its the same old gang, then."

"Yes, and I wouldn't have it any other way" acknowledged Arianna.

The group finished breakfast and returned to the lobby. Arianna studied the treasure map and was surprised to learn that the location for the water crypt was only a short distance from Angel Falls.

"So we need to head for the hill near Angel Falls, again" mussed Sasha.

Trent nodded"So how will we go this time?"

Arianna squared her shoulders"Let's just use a Chimera Wing."

The group teleported away from Stornway after going outside the inn and landed outside Angel Falls. Heading up the hill to the left, Arianna headed straight until she sensed a invisible flight of stairs and stopped.

"Is this it?" asked Alicia.

"I think so" replied Arianna, heading down.

The group came to an underground cavern with water streams and platforms. Trent glanced around"This place looks like some kind of underground waterway, guess that's why its called a crypt."

"All right, let's stay alert" said Arianna, leading the way.

The group proceeded down the underground cavern, across the platforms which took them across the streams of water. As they headed to the far side of the chamber, several skeleton soldiers and a prime slime awaited them.

Trent drew his sword"Monsters just don't know when to quit."

"Let's show them what we're made of" Sasha charged and stabbed a Skeleton soldier. Two more slashed at the Paladin, who barely managed to dodge. Conrad shot one skeleton soldier long enough for Sasha to stab it. Raymond took down three more with a Kaboom spell.

Trent turned his attention to the Prime Slime, a slime knight on a yellowish giant slime and used Falcon Slash. The monster retaliated with a swing of its blades, which Trent barely managed to dodge. Arianna focused magic power into her blade and finished the Prime Slime with Gigaslash.

"I think there's a staircase up ahead" pointed Conrad.

Arianna nodded and led the way, heading down the staircase. The next chamber contained only two Cyber Spiders, which they easily bested before going down the corridor. Trent addressed Arianna"These guys are just mostly small fry, huh?"

"So far, but that all the more makes me suspect the grotto guardian will be even more formidable" acknowledged the Celestrian.

The journey through the next couple passageways took them to a large chamber with water on either side of the room. A cat-like humanoid stood guard there with a sword, looking similar to Goresby-Purrvis, only with a darker color scheme.

"What the heck?" Trent took up a stance and reached for his blade.

The monster sneered"I am Excalipurr, once an essence of the Almighty before we were split into different beings such as Nemean, Equinox, Fowleye and Hammibal. Do you dare challenge me?"

"If that's what it takes" quipped Trent.

However, even as they spoke, several Cybercrabs and a Prime Slime emerged. Trent readied himself"I'll get Excalipurr while you guys take the rest of these monsters."

"You're not fighting him alone" protested Arianna.

"I care not" snarled Excelipurr, unleashing a flurry of slashes at the pair. Trent and Arianna dodged and rushed to counter, only to be forced to jump back to avoid a horizontal slash.

Conrad shot a Cyberspider, while Sasha stabbed another and Raymond cast spells at the encroaching monsters. A Cyberspider narrowly bit Sasha when she dodged and countered with her lance. Conrad darted around a Cyberspider and shot it in the side. Alicia held back to heal her allies when needed and occasionally cast an attack spell whenever a monster got to close.

Trent darted forward and stabbed at Excalipurr. The monster jumped back and slashed at Trent, only for Arianna to slash Excalipurr in the side. The humanoid hissed and jumped back to counter with multistrike. The pair jumped back and darted at the monster from two sides. Excalipurr jumped over them and brought his sword swinging downward.

Sasha wiped out another Cyberspider before being harassed by a Prime Slime. The Paladin blocked each of its sword strokes as best she could before rolling out of the way of another sword strike. In a desperate move, Sasha hurled her lance at the slime's rider, knocking it down. Conrad helped finish the slime before going to retrieve the Paladin's lance for her.

Alicia blasted the other Prime Slime before having to dodge a sword slash. Raymond turned and cast Crack on the Prime Slime, which countered by leaping up and attempting to slam down on the male Sage, who quickly jumped out of the way.

Trent deflected the blow from Excalipurr and countered with a Falcon Slash. The monster stabbed in retaliation, only for Trent to dodge that and attack with another Falcon Slash. Arianna swung her sword from behind Excalipurr, who jumped over and countered with a Multistrike.

"Kaboom!" Raymond cast his strongest spell at the Primeslime, causing the creature to melt into thin air. Sasha and Conrad worked together to eliminate the remaining Cyspiders, taking minor hits in the process.

"Multi-Heal!" Alicia healed Trent, Conrad, Sasha and Arianna before jumping back to avoid a stab aimed at her just from Excalipurr. Trent took the opportunity to slash at the monster's chest. Excalipurr staggered and thrust at the blond Gladiator.

"He's not playing around, that's for sure" remarked Conrad, shooting an arrow at the monster. The Grotto guardian jumped over the arrow and slashed downward at the Ranger. Arianna caught him off guard with Falcon Slash, prompting Excalipurr to retaliate with Multislash.

"That does it" Arianna channeled energy into her blade"Gigaslash!"

The wave of energy pierced Excalipurr, stunning him long enough for Trent to stab him. The defeated Grotto Guardian collapsed.

"Man, I wonder what's on the far side of the chamber, this time. That was too close" breathed Trent.

Arianna walked over to a treasure chest and opened it, revealing the contents to be purplish-white pearls. Trent walked over"This was the last grotto, I guess. But what are these pearls? Are they what we're looking for?"

Arianna nodded as she took the pearls and put them in her pocket"Yes, let's go see Lady Celestria."

The group used Evac to leave the grotto and summoned the Starflight Express to transport them to the Realm of the Almighty. As soon as they disembarked, the group walked to the Palace where Celestria waited.

"My lady, I have something I need to show you" Arianna curtsied as she took out the pearl.

Celestria glanced at the item in the Celestrian's hand"Ah. This is the prayer pearl, correct? I can sense its power."

"Pavo told me to get it to you. And we defeated the last of the Grotto Guardians" acknowledged Arianna.

Celestria smiled"You did well, King Zenus's essences will eventually regain their sanity and transform into a single being once more. It may take some time for that to occur, but perhaps my father's view on Mortals has changed due to your actions. You have released the Almighty's energy by vanquishing those monsters. There is one more task to be done, should you accept."

"What must we do?" asked Arianna.

The Goddess replied"I will transport you to the Realm of Memories. There, you can change one of your fellow Celestrians' destiny through the mystic power of the prayer pearl. Perhaps there is something the spirit in the star glistening above is yearning for. The pearl's power can even work miracles."

"I accept" nodded Arianna, thinking back to her deceased master and only father figure she had since her real father had vanished.

"I'm going with you, Arianna. If that is okay" piped the Gladiator.

Celestria nodded"Very well then, only the two of you may enter the realm of memory. The rest of your companions may wait in the Starflight Express. Take due care, for by altering the past, you affect the present."

Trent nodded and stood by Arianna as Celestria cast a spell on the pair, transporting them out of sight. Alicia addressed the Goddess"Will they be all right?"

"They will, just wait for them" replied Celestria.

Alicia nodded, and went with Conrad, Sahsa and Raymond back to the train.

* * *

><p>Trent and Arianna had been engulfed in a golden light and materialized in the Observatory. Arianna led the way, holding Trent's hand as she helped guide him through the invisible-to-his-eyes realm. They eventually saw two familiar Celestrians talking. One had blond hair and the other was bald.<p>

"Master, I don't understand. Why do we help the mortals? Even the Almighty doesn't care for them due to their evil" said the bald Celestrian.

The blond replied"I have faith in the Mortals, but it is up to you what to believe in, Aquila."

As the blond Celestrian left, Arianna walked over to the bald winged man"Master Aquila."

The bald Celestrian turned, startled to see the purple-haired girl"Who are you? How did you get in? And how do you know of me? Mortals don't usually come to this sacred place. This is impossible..."

The purple-haired Celestrian spoke"I am your apprentice from the future, Arianna. This may seem a little far-fetched, so I don't blame you if you don't believe me."

Aquila hesitated as he thought to himself'Could this be just an illusion? Did I not sleep enough, last night?'

Trent stood back while Arianna handed the pearl over to the bald Celestrian. Aquila was puzzled"What is this?"

The purple-haired Celestrian replied"I've been told it is the Prayer Pearl, a sort of miracle item. It can change your fate if you want through the simple power of a prayer, or so I've heard."

Aquila was silent for a moment as she shook his head to clear his thoughts and put the pearl in his pocket"I shall have to take your word for it. I... have great difficulty with accepting my master's thoughts on Mortals, so I cannot claim to believe what you say. And if I ever do have a pupil, I will teach him or her the way of the Observatory before all else."

Arianna nodded before she and Trent were teleported away by another ball of light. The pair returned to the present and found themselves in front of the Starflight Express. The blond addressed the Celestrian"How long ago was that?"

"My guess is that was the last time Corvus and my master talked, three-hundred years ago. Corvus was Master Aquila's teacher, as I am sure you already know" replied Arianna.

Celestria approached"You have successfully altered the future a bit, the change should be most noticeable if you go back to Angel Falls. The Prayer Pearl has worked its magic, go and see for yourself."

Arianna nodded and boarded the express with Trent to return once more to Angel Falls. As the group headed into the town, they found a familiar bald-headed man with a celestrial outfit standing near the guardian statue.

"Isn't that...?" Trent trailed off.

Arianna knew who it was and addressed the man"Master Aquila?"

The man, who had been standing before the statue, turned to face the group"Arianna. I owe you this time."

"Master? Are you referring to the prayer pear? Your wings and halo are gone too, aren't they?" Arianna asked, astonished.

Aquila nodded"When I faced King Godwyn and we stabbed each other, I remembered the Prayer pearl. I prayed using that gem's power that I wouldn't bring any more sadness to those closest to me. My life was spared, so I was able to defeat the Gittish King and still live. After you defeated Corvus and the other Celestrians became stars in the sky, however, Lady Celestria told me that due to my sins, I am to live the rest of my life as a mortal."

"Whoa, Celestria sounds kind of harsh, there" remarked Trent.

"Be that as it may, I now understand why my master was devoted to the mortals before he lost himself in his anguish, having spent the last few days living here as a mortal. I realize that the strange travelers who gave me the pearl three-hundred years ago was you and Arianna, for that I'm grateful" acknowledged the older Celestrian.

"Um. Hey, why don't you join us as a fellow adventurer? Patty's place could always use more adventurers and warriors to hire to help people" suggested Arianna.

Aquila pondered for a moment"I've nothing better to do, so I will take you up on your offer."

"Thanks, master" smiled Arianna.

"I cannot call myself your master any longer, you are allowed to call me by my name from here on now" spoke the older Celestrian.

The group, accompanied by Aquila, headed for the Quester's Rest. Erinn, Pavo and Patty were waiting for them. The innkeeper smiled"Good to see you again, Arianna. Who is this?" she asked, referring to Aquila.

"He's my teacher, Aquila" spoke Arianna.

"Pleasure to meet your acquaintance" acknowledged Aquila, going to speak with Pavo.

"Brother?" The dark-haired Celestrian addressed him.

"Yes, Pavo. It is I" replied Aquila.

"You two know each other?" asked Trent.

The male former Celestrian turned"Pavo is my twin sister, but we were opposites due to our beliefs."

"But we are no longer opposites, are we? Arianna, you may rely on my brother and I for help anytime" smiled Pavo.

Arianna smiled back"Thank you."

Aquila addressed the group"I will remain in Stornway until my services are required. Arianna, you've truly grown stronger."

"Thanks, master" acknowledged the purple-haired Celestrian.

* * *

><p>That's it, the chapter before the last. I'll post the last chapter, tomorrow. I know the post-game in Dragon Quest IX itself is endless, but I needed to end this fic somehowsomeway.

Please review if you'd like.


	35. Forevermore and Always

The final chapter is on. Thanks in advance to everyone who's read/reviewed/favored this story. I enjoyed writing this. This chapter title may be subject to change because I wasn't sure what a good name for it would be.

Disclaimer: You may already know the drill by now, but the dragon quest series was created by Squaresoft with its respective characters, locations, etc.

* * *

><p>Epilogue-Forevermore and Always<p>

As a month and a half passed, the group traveled around the world in the Starflight Express, aiding anyone in the Protectorate who are in need. Trent, Arianna, Conrad, Sasha, Raymond, Alicia and Sasha watched the scenery go by as they made one last round in the express.

"This has been a good many months, hasn't it?" breathed Trent.

Arianna smiled"Indeed. But even though the Grotto Guardians are defeated and Corvus has been stopped, I've no reason to cease my guardianship. There will always be those in need, I'm sure Lady Celestria understands that. I'm sure we all have high hopes for the future."

"All that adventuring's been fun, I'll say that much" grinned Conrad.

Trent addressed Arianna"I've been doing a bit of thinking... And..."

"Yes?" The purple-haired Celestrian addressed him.

The blond Gladiator smiled"I'm thinking about staying in Stornway. I asked King Schott, and he said he'd expand the kingdom a bit so we could build a house. Takes a lot of money, I know, but what can I do?"

"That will be fine, I'll be working part-time at the Quester's Rest anyway. The rest of my time will be spent as protector of the Protectorate, and Master Aquila has offered to help train aspiring Adventurers if any newcomers join Patty's place if there are any who are willing to see the world and help protect its people. If they're not careful though, they'd have to open another branch of Patty's Party Place in Angel Falls. What of you?" acknowledged Arianna.

Trent squared his shoulders"I've decided to enlist as one of King Schott's knights and start a job protecting the town and civilians from monsters. I have my father's memory to think about, he was a awesome knight. Almost as amazing as the legendary Right Knight was, in fact."

"That sounds perfect for you, and in this way, we could both work together to ensure the safety of Stornway and its people. And as it is my duty as a guardian to defend the Protectorate, I'll pretty much be traveling to the different towns we've visited and ensuring that everything is okay. If you get any free time during your job, you can join me" smiled Arianna.

"Sasha and I will settle down in Porth Lleffan, we talked about that together. We'll hire a crew and use the Pride of Bloomingdale to help ferry people to Stornway and Gleeba if they want. Thieving doesn't exactly pay" said Conrad, thinking about his deceased father.

"Alicia and I decided to settle down in Zere. Huh, guess we'll be pretty spread out. Not that it bothers me" said the male Sage.

The group disembarked the Starflight Express. Arianna turned to address Stella and Sterling"Thank you for allowing us to use the Starflight Express. Sterling, I thought maybe I should return your whistle."

The older man smiled"Heh, don't worry about that. You just hold on to it, never know when you might need transport and can't make it back to the nearest town."

"That's true" smiled the Celestrian.

Trent, Arianna, Conrad, Sasha, Raymond and Alicia went to the Quester's Rest for one more night together.

"Since we're talking jobs, guess we're disbanding after all" said Conrad.

Arianna nodded with a smile"We're all free to live our lives as we desire. If there's ever another crises and we aren't around, our descendants will surely be up to the challenge."

"She's right about that. We are the world's elite Adventurers and preservers, and will remain so in our hearts" remarked the Gladiator.

* * *

><p>The next few days passed until Raymond and Alicia arranged their wedding to take place in Stornway's church. Trent was selected to be Raymond's best man, while Arianna was asked by the female sage to be her Maid of Honor.<p>

Conrad, Sasha, Erinn, Aquilla, Patty, Sellma, Raymond's aunt, and a few other people sat in the church as guests. Trent stood next to Raymond as he spoke with the male sage"So, we're going to be brother-in-laws."

"You said it. Though to be honest, I didn't think we'd survive that long" grinned Raymond.

The room was silent as Alicia emerged from a room at the side of the church, wearing a wedding dress. Conrad walked up to Alicia and walked down the aisle towards the alter with the female sage.

Trent watched as Alicia and Raymond proceeded to stand in front of the altar, where a Priest presided over the wedding. Arianna stood next to Trent as Raymond and Alicia exchanged vows.

"So romantic, when do you think Trent and Arianna will get hitched?" remarked Patty from her seat.

"Never know, but they're obviously in no rush" smiled Erinn.

Aquila sat silently, thinking.

"Hey, don't you have anything to say?" Patty addressed the bald man.

Aquila shook his head to awaken himself from his thoughts"I have nothing to say."

"Can't blame you, this occasion is almost impossible to express with words" said Erinn.

As soon as the two Sages exchanged their vows and rings, the group headed for the square where the reception was taking place. Trent put a hand in Arianna's"Hey."

"Yes?" inquired the female Celestrian.

Everyone in the room seemed to stop and see what was going on. The blond Gladiator was silent for a moment, not knowing what to say.

"You're blowing it, lovebird" called Raymond. Alicia shook her head.

Trent's ears reddened in embarrassment as the blond took something out of his pocket and addressed Arianna"I've given this some thought, and I'm wondering... Will you marry me, Arianna?"

The violet-haired Celestrian blushed as she pondered this"You know, you could've chosen a more romantic setting after the wedding. But I am touched by your ardor, so yes, I accept your proposal, Trent."

Trent smiled"Then, I give you this as a symbol of my affection." The blond Gladiator opened the box to review a gold ring with a purple amethyst on top of it and placed the ring on Arianna's willing third finger.

The Celestrian admired the ring for a moment before she spoke again"This is quite an expensive piece of jewelry."

"Yeah, I used most of my savings to pay for that" flushed Trent.

Arianna smiled and turned to address the cheering crowd"My friends, Trent and I will hold our own ceremony in a few weeks from now. Each of you is invited, but there may be other guests as well."

Raymond and Alicia beamed at the newly engaged couple. Outside, Arianna could've sworn she just heard Stella giggling as the tiny, flippant fairy retreated to the Starflight Express to tell Sterling.

Aquila walked up to the engaged pair"Arianna, I am truly happy for you. Trent, I trust you will take good care of her? Arianna, you both have my blessings. Lady Florianna would've wanted this if she could see you, today."

"Thanks, master" smiled Arianna.

"Yes, sir" acknowledged the blond.

Alicia piped up"Well, let's head outside, everyone."

The group headed out to where the reception took place in town. King Schott, Princess Simona, Doctor Phlegming and Ivor were among the crowd. Alicia held a bouquet of flowers in her hands, which she tossed into the crowd.

A group of musicians began to play during the celebration as Sellma and Erinn began to sing. While the music and the song played, Trent and Arianna began to dance together. Conrad, Sasha, Alicia and Raymond joined the fun.

* * *

><p>From her vantage point in the Realm of the Almighty, Celestria watched from above with a smile'Everything is perfectly well. Now if only my father were here to watch.'<p>

"Celestria" an elderly man in robes and a crown approached her.

Celestria turned"Father?"

The man smiled"As you can see, I have regained myself with the help of the last Celestrian and her friends. I can see I was wrong, and you were right about the mortals. I believed them to have too much evil in their hearts, yet it was mortals who saved me from eternal anguish in the end."

"Father" Celestria rushed to hug King Zenus. The Almighty hugged his daughter back.

* * *

><p>Trent and Arianna gracefully waltzed through the crowd not too far away from Alicia and her new husband. Trent addressed the Celestrian"So once we have our own ceremony, we'd officially be together until death do we part, right?"<p>

"No... Not just that. Even when my body's gone, I'll always be with you" smiled Arianna.

Trent smiled"Yeah, you're right."

Before Erinn, Aquila, Patty, Sellma, Alicia and Raymond's eyes, Arianna and Trent embraced and shared a passionate kiss. Above the party, Celestria and her father King Zenus watched along with the spirits of Mona, the Right Knight, Marion Bloome, Sternivus, Catarrhina, Aques, Serena and Corvus looked down from the heavens above the Protectorate, smiling gratefully at Trent and Arianna.

The party lasted until evening as the group and guests disbanded to their homes. Trent glanced at Raymond"Take care."

"Just see you don't drop the bomb" smirked Raymond, who left shortly with Alicia to Zere.

Sasha and Conrad headed to the Pride of Bloomingdale and set sail for Lleffan. The two went to settle down peacefully and took up a job ferrying travelers across the seas.

Erinn began to develop secret feelings for the bald, former Guardian of Angel Falls, who helped Patty with her Adventure guilds.

Arianna headed for the house she and Trent had built at an empty corner of Stornway, accompanied by the blond. Trent addressed Arianna"So, if not tomorrow, maybe sometime we can go on another date until we tie the knot?"

"Depends how busy we are, but I look forward to sharing the rest of my life with you. And even though our group is separated, a part of each other always remains" smiled Arianna as they retired to separate rooms, pausing to share another brief moment.

"Yeah, and we've always got each other's backs no matter what" smiled Trent.

**Fin**

* * *

><p>That's it, sorry to disappoint anyone who was hoping Trent and Arianna will marry at the end. But they will at the beginning of the sequel. I'll probably not do a sequel until I finish my other fics, which may take time.<p>

But feel free to read and review any of the other fics I have on my profile page. And feel free to review this one as well.

Oh, and King Zenus stays fragmented into ten beings as far as I know in the Sentinels of the Starry Skies game itself, I made the part up about him reforming into one, again.

As for Jessica, Angelo and Milly, I'll more than likely use them again. And I kind of made up the fates of the characters, here. As I plan for the sequel to be a DQ crossover, characters from Realms of Revelation, Journey of the Cursed King and Sentinels of the Starry Skies will be included with some old and new OCs.


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